


Cicatrix

by DiscordantJargon



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Angel being a good friend, Angels, BAMF Charlie Magne, Blood and Violence, Breakups, Cannibalism, Character Development, Death, Dubiously Healthy Relationship, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gore, Hurt/Comfort, Lucifer is a shit dad, Manipulative!Alastor, Mild Sexual Tension, Minor Charlie Magne/Vaggie, Murder, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Swearing, and i mean really minor because they're not the end couple, hope you all enjoy :), no beta we die like men, some noncannon characters cause they move the plot along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 52,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiscordantJargon/pseuds/DiscordantJargon
Summary: “What’s the life of one compared to getting your message out to thousands? Isn’t that what you want, Charlie? To redeem others?”Completed. Thank you for coming along on the journey, everyone! It's been a pleasure <3
Relationships: Alastor/Charlie Magne
Comments: 140
Kudos: 269





	1. A Heavenly Encounter and the Dichotomy of Opportunity

Papers rustled about, the sound filling the silence of the room along with the occasional satisfactory hum as Charlie read through the files of her current residents. They’d reached a total of 6 patients with Niffty doubling as staff, and though it may have been a small number, Charlie couldn’t help the way her face drew up into a smile at the thought of how far they’d come. 

Her eyes drifted around the office, lacquered nails tapping at the polished wood underneath. Years ago, she could’ve only dreamt of having her own space like this. A safe haven for all the redeemable demons out there and a home she could call her own. 

Sucking in a breath, Charlie turned back to the papers at her desk-

And nearly got hit in the face with glass shards.

Eyes widening in shock, the sound of glass shattering seemed to cacophony through her ears, a grimace drawing across her previously content face. 

Then, she saw the body. 

Jagged cuts laced across the young girl, glass embedded into her strangely pale flesh. Perhaps even more peculiar was the cyan blood steadily winding its way down her heaving body. 

Realization struck Charlie. 

‘She’s...alive!’ 

In all honesty, this was not the first time Charlie had had the pleasure of someone being flung through the hotel window. Fights were unfortunately a frequent occurrence in Hell and property damage followed close behind. Alastor had even nearly thrown Angel Dust out of one when the demon tried to grind against his lap once, not that Charlie could blame him. 

This was the first time a demon thrown through her window was conscious however, and Charlie was quickly brought back to reality by a small groan, two entrancingly blue eyes staring up at her in pain. 

A gasp escaped her lips, and Charlie quickly bent down to help the peculiar girl. 

“Hey, are you alright?” 

“W-who are you? Are you Charlie? I-is this the hotel?”

Charlie’s heart beat in sympathy for the poor creature, looking for all the world absolutely petrified as she tried not to cry. 

“Yeah, it is! Did you come here for redemption?”

The girl bit her lip nervously, eyes looking at the floor. 

“K-Kind of? I don’t know.. I’m not supposed to be here, I think.. the voices keep telling me so.”

“The voices?” 

Charlie reached out to place a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder, only to draw back in surprise at the scalding sensation spreading across her skin. The girl warily glanced up at her. 

“Yeah… They told me to come find you so I can go to where I belong.”

Wrinkling her brow, Charlie eyed the marks as they disappeared from her palm, her skin slowly healing. The beginnings of an idea tugged at her ear.

“Where you belong?”

The girl nodded, gingerly pointing her finger up.

“Up there.” 

The lock of understanding clicked into place for Charlie, noting how the girl’s cuts had rapidly closed up, the cyan blood disappearing back under her skin with a faint glow. 

_ ‘An angel.’  _

_ ‘Wait, an ANGEL??’ _

Her face contorted in confusion, Charlie could only stare at the girl with shock. The possibility of an angel being in Hell (aside from the ones that terrorized them during The Exterminations) was unfathomable. Fallen Angels were uncommon as is, with Charlie herself only really knowing her father as one, but this completely defied logic. While she knew little of the intricacies behind how the ‘sorting’ system for the realms of Heaven and Hell worked, she’d never heard of mistakes like this before. Focusing in on the angel’s nervous expression, Charlie wondered how the sweet girl had ended up here.

“Uh so...Do you have a name?”

The angel looked up at her in attention.

“Liliya! You can call me Lily if you want though, it’s what my voices always call me.”

Even her name sounded angelic, Charlie mused, before continuing her investigation.

“Lily, you keep mentioning ‘voices’, what exactly is that about? Do you remember anything before you ended up here?”

Swaying back and forth on her feet, Lily’s brow wrinkled as she tried her best to recount her memories. 

“My voices are my friends. I didn’t always have them, but they’ve always tried to keep me safe since I’ve died. And no, not really...all I remember is suddenly falling from the sky and onto the roof of this place. It really, really hurt so I couldn’t move for a while, and the voices kept screaming that we were gonna die unless we found you. That you could keep us safe.”

Perturbed, Charlie fiddled with the seams of her jacket, her mind spinning in an attempt to make sense of the situation. Assuming she was telling the truth, it sounded like the young girl had schizophrenia, though how exactly Lily’s ‘voices’ knew to lead her to Charlie remained unclear. That, and how exactly Lily had survived if she did indeed ‘fall’ from Heaven. Stepping closer to inspect the angel, Charlie caught sight of unhealed scars spanning across Lily’s shoulders and neck - a result from her near fatal tumble. It was a wonder she could remember anything at all, so Charlie took pity on her failing memory.

“They weren’t wrong - I’m glad you ended up here, even if your entrance wasn’t the most graceful. I don’t know what exactly we can do to get you back to Heaven, but I’ll keep you safe for the time you’re here!” 

Lily beamed with happiness, thanking Charlie profusely as she reached out with a hug that Charlie gingerly returned, mindful not to hold on too tightly to avoid being burnt. There were a million precautions she would have to take to ensure Lily’s safety until she could return to Heaven, and she knew just the person to help.

“Hey Lily, I’m gonna quickly call someone that can help us. She might seem a bit scary at first, but I promise she won’t hurt you!”

Slowly drawing back, Lily’s blue eyes followed Charlie with curiosity as she turned away and took out her phone, steeling herself for the conversation ahead.

* * *

Arms crossed, Vaggie stood vigil next to the disguised angel next to her as Charlie scrambled to clean her disorganized room. Despite her initial freakout, because honestly  _ what the fuck, Charlie, how do these things even happen to you? _ , Vaggie took a quick liking to Lily after Charlie filled her in on the situation - her mild temperament reminiscent of Vaggie’s own younger and naive self. The two demons had quickly agreed to mask the angel’s appearance to prevent her from being murdered on sight. Charlie also insisted that the girl stayed in her room while she was with them, which is what led them to witness the pathetic scramble for a cleanup in front of them. 

Giggles resembling the sound of tinkling bells brought Vaggie’s attention back to Lily, the young girl watching Charlie’s frantic movements with delight. Once Lily noticed her attention, she redirected her stunning smile towards Vaggie. Despite her reservations, Vaggie returned her smile, the angel’s happiness feeling suffocatingly infectious. She idly wondered if Charlie wouldn’t be the same without her bloodline damning her to remain in Hell. 

“Okay, that should do it! Welcome to my room, Lily! You’ll be staying here while we work something out.”

The angel thanked Charlie politely and walked in, surveying the various trinkets decorating the room. Vaggie sighed with fond exasperation at Charlie’s clear joy as she hovered around the younger girl, eager to answer any questions and meet her needs. Of course Charlie of all people would manage to get an angel crash landing into her office. They’d have to repair the window soon if they planned to keep this discreet, and while Vaggie trusted Charlie’s powers, she wondered how long it’d take until the resident Radio Demon struck his talons into their business - as was his tendency with all his shadows hiding around the place. Goosebumps rising along her skin, Vaggie checked the corners of the room for any suspicious movement, wary even as nothing seemed out of place.

Taking care of Lily in secret would be difficult enough, let alone returning her to Heaven. Charlie had told her of her attempts to open negotiations or at least communicate with the Heavenly Realm in the past, none of which had worked. Charlie, ever the optimist, had assured her that the angels “wouldn’t leave one of their own behind!”. Vaggie had kept her silence, but she couldn’t help and think of the brutal Exterminations; how guiltlessly the Angels would inflict death upon hundreds of demons. Even “one of their own” might not be given mercy if the young girl was present for the next purge. 

Laughter broke through her grim thoughts and she watched as Charlie fawned over the angel in their care, who currently looked like a tiny hell-kitten in Charlie’s graciously donated pajamas. Chewing her lip, Vaggie shook away her worries and moved to resize the clothes. Her doubts still sat heavy in the pit of her heart, but for Charlie’s sake she cast them aside, at least for the time being. If Charlie wanted to protect this angel and get her back to Heaven, then she’d support her, just as she did with the development of the hotel.

* * *

Since the encounter, four days had passed by in relative peace. Charlie and Vaggie would take turns checking in on the angel and providing her with food in between caring for the residents and attending to hotel matters. Lily held true to her agreeable nature and stayed in the room without complaint, happy to spend the day playing with Razzle and Dazzle and talking to her voices for company.

While it made Charlie’s job of maintaining the hotel slightly more inconvenient without her loyal pets, her spirits remained as high as ever, still determined to find a way to help the angel. It was on the second day of her stay that Vaggie inquired about Lily’s past. Lily had gone quiet then, curling into herself as she recalled her story. Her father was unknown to her, as he’d left her mother when he’d found out she was pregnant. It had been a devastating blow to her young mother, who came from a close-minded religious family that spared her no sympathy. Still, in her darkest hour, she carried on, supporting herself and Lily through multiple jobs and with the help of certain grants and scholarships. 

“Mom and I were never rich like everyone else, but I know she loved me a lot! Even though it made her cry sometimes, she always told me it wasn’t my fault, and she’d save up a little bit of money each year to get me a birthday present. My favorite was the HUGE box of crayons! I liked making her happy with my drawings.”

Vaggie’s heart ached for the sweet angel before her, and she patted her head, grateful the young girl had been blessed with a wonderful mother, even if her scumbag of a father was absent. Leaning into the touch, Lily’s cheerful expression suddenly grew uncannily somber. She sucked in a breath, her small hands balling into fists with fear.

“Last b-birthday Mom took me t-to a t-theme park. I r-really wanted t-this doll from one of the g-games b-but she wouldn’t let me, and I got u-upset. W-when she left to get food, this b-blue n-nosed c-clown came up to me and said h-he’d overheard us and c-could get me the doll for f-free. H-he seemed so f-friendly at f-first, h-he g-gave me a b-balloon a-animal a-and invited me to h-his house, but got u-upset when I mentioned M-mom. H-he grabbed m-me a-and he w-wouldn’t let me o-out! I-I t-tried to s-scream for M-mom, b-but he h-hit me...It h-hurt s-so much...I-I w-woke u-up in a c-cage a-and there w-were o-others and I c-couldn’t b-breathe, it smelled s-so a-awful a-and he s-said I’d s-stay u-until I w-was th-thankful a-and I-!”

Now hyperventilating, cyan tears freely streamed from Lily’s eyes. Vaggie’s shoulders shook with emotion, unable to help the stray tear that escaped her eye as Charlie cried uncontrollably beside her. She struggled to suck in a breath and hugged the girl tightly, the scalding pain from the contact a welcome distraction.

“Shh,  _ chiquita _ , it’s alright now. You’re safe - you’re not there anymore, that  **_monster_ ** can’t hurt you.” The tiny girl buried herself in Vaggie’s chest, her grip painfully tight as she continued crying.

Hatred and sorrow ran rampant through Vaggie’s veins, heart hurting for the little girl in her arms. For the first time, she felt like she truly understood Charlie’s desperate desire for redemption. Lily was by no means a sinner, and the thought of some divine entity condemning her with the scums in Hell made Vaggie see red. Eyes locking with Charlie’s puffy and irritated ones, she held out an encouraging hand, beckoning for her to come and join them.

There was an unspoken understanding when Charlie’s fingers tightly clasped her own. No matter what, they’d get Lily back to Heaven. Damn the uncertainty of whether or not rehabilitating demons would work - the angel in their embrace deserved it, and Vaggie would help Charlie accomplish that regardless of what it took.

The moth spent the rest of the day playing with Lily, ensuring the small angel was full of smiles. Since finding out about her past, Vaggie fondly referred to Lily as  _ mi cielito _ , a testament to her truly angelic nature. Charlie, ever thoughtful, gifted the angel a small goat doll resembling the companions she loved to play with so much. Lily was elated, of course, and being the sickeningly sweet angel she was, named it a mixture of their names. It was enough to melt Vaggie’s heart and temporarily erase away Charlie’s exhaustion. Although Charlie only showed Lily smiles, Vaggie fretted over the dark eyebags she had from nights of fruitless research. The princess had made good on her promise to attempt to develop communications with the Heavenly realm, though she was quite limited without her parent’s royal power and connections. Vaggie could only imagine the frustration Charlie felt, especially given their only other real resource was Alastor - someone they’d both agreed on solving a problem without, for once.

As the evening of a fifth day passed by without progress, Vaggie enjoyed another evening with her two angels. Despite what others may say about the underworld, this is where Vaggie felt happiness - watching the two dorks in front of her dance away to some upbeat music. It was a heart-wrenchingly, even disgustingly cute scene, and deep down in her heart, Vaggie wished that every day could be like this. She knew it was incredibly selfish to ask, but the world had still given her Charlie even while it called her a sinner, so maybe Lily could stay too. 

They could be their own happy little family.

But of course, divine intervention had never been kind to Vaggie. Away from the joyful safety bubble of Charlie’s room, a pristine envelope materialized on Charlie’s desk. With a freshly pressed seal and exquisite penmanship, the envelope simply read:  _ The Heavenly Realm. _

* * *

The sendoff had been bittersweet. Charlie had wasted no time after discovering the envelope - immediately complying with the secret meeting time and location to send Lily back home. Vaggie had only been able to escort them out the back of the hotel, as the letter specified only her to come. Perhaps it was for the best that way - Vaggie’s steel heart had been broken through yet again, and she wasn’t sure she could’ve continued acting strong in front of Lily while watching her be taken away. Lily herself had reacted with surprising maturity for her age at the news, telling Vaggie that her voices had told her it’d soon be time to leave.

“You have a good heart, Miss Vaggie! I’ll miss playing with you and Miss Charlie. I’ll totally get you guys to Heaven someday too!”

Her confidence made Vaggie laugh - not unkindly, but simply because she knew better. She simply hugged Lily and said she’d miss her too. She gave Lily a final wave once she and Charlie entered the limo. And then they were gone.

Charlie returned a while later, her smile beaming.

“This is it, Vaggie, this is IT!”

Vaggie watched her with a mixture of thinly veiled confusion and amusement.

“Yeah? Did it all go well?”

Her smile turning slightly sad for a moment, Charlie nodded.

“Lily was sad to go. She gave me a huge hug before she left and we both cried honestly. She took her doll with her though; said she’d always remember us that way.” Tucking her hand into her pocket, Charlie then pulled out a feather. “She gifted us this so we could always remember her too.”

They shared a moment of thoughtful silence before Charlie perked up.

“Also! I talked through some stuff with the angel who came to pick her up, and he said The Heavenly Realm knew about my hotel! I asked him about opening communications so our rehabilitation could take place, and he said he couldn’t promise anything, buuut that he’d mention us keeping Lily safe to the higher ups to help it along! Apparently they’re pretty interested in the idea of rehabilitation already, so this could be our chance to shine! Isn’t this awesome?!”

Bouncing up and down with excitement, Charlie joyously celebrated. Vaggie, surprised but happy to hear the news, gave Charlie a congratulatory hug, glad that they gained some progress even as they let go of someone precious in the end.

* * *

Elsewhere, a sharp set of claws gingerly held a cup of expensive tea. Narrowed eyes watched Charlie as she excitedly gestured in the newsroom, her joy unrelenting even in the face of Katie Killjoy’s snide comments as she told the Underworld of the contact she’d made with the Heavenly Realm, and the progress this meant for the possibility of rehabilitation. While many demons scoffed in the face of the princess’s announcement, Lucifer’s attention was focused on the feather his daughter gingerly held in her hands. It was real. He, more so than anyone, could tell that much. Which meant Charle’s story held credence, and his daughter had indeed somehow opened discussion about negotiations with the Heavenly realm. That rehabilitation could be a possibility.

Rewinding the footage, the King let out a sigh and put his cup down.

“Sorry, poppet” He said dryly, pausing on the shot of his daughter’s ecstatic face as she recounted the encounter. “There’s some things I simply can’t let you do.” 

* * *

**Bonus:**

Waving goodbye to Charlie for a final time once the escort angel finished talking to her, Lily allowed her body to be embraced by the heavenly light, eyes opening only once she’d reemerged in the heavenly realm.

“It’s good to see you unharmed, Ms. Liliya.”

Turning to face the Archangel on her left, Lily allowed her body to return to a slightly older form, her simple dress changing to silk robes as white wings emerged from her back.

“Likewise, Michael. It seems your interest in Ms. Magne was warranted - while the hotel’s redemption project is undetermined in its effectiveness, the princess herself certainly deserves a place in heaven. Her friend as well.”

Laughing, Michael shook his head, his golden curls and hayo swaying with each exhalation of breath.

“Now, now, don’t get too sentimental. You already took a risk by giving her your feather, you know. We’re lucky the princess is naive and was caught up in her emotions so she didn’t question it. After all, how would a simple would-be angel have a feather of such purity and power?” Then, with a bright smile, he vanished, other heavenly duties calling his attention.

Though Michael’s demeanor seemed nothing but gentle and lighthearted, Liliya could easily read the warning in his words; don’t try to intervene where you’re not tasked.

Her eyes flitting to the ground below her, Lily carefully reached into her robe and pulled out the stuffed goat doll Charlie had gifted her. The doll sat silently in the palm of her hand, but she couldn’t help being reminded of the music she’d danced to with the two demons.

Eyes troubled, Lily tightened her grip, squishing the doll.

_ ‘There must be a way to get her into heaven somehow...!’ _

  
  



	2. The Calm Before The Storm

Humming a jaunty tune, Charlie walked out of the group therapy room, the residents already off to spend their leisure time however they pleased.

It had only been a few days since she’d sent Lily away, and Charlie already felt the small angel’s absence. She’d grown accustomed to her company throughout the day, enjoying the feeling of caring for someone who needed help and readily accepted hers. At night, she’d tell the angel of her dreams for the hotel while the girl avidly listened, enthralled by Charlie’s passion. It was nice being listened to like that, being taken seriously. Aside from Vaggie, no one else really did.

Shaking away the pinch of self consciousness which followed that depressing thought, Charlie forced a smile onto her face. After all, Charlie was an optimist. She disregarded the mourning in her heart and thought of the future instead. While she hadn’t heard anything from The Heavenly Realm since sending Lily off, Charlie had still made history as far as she was concerned. Her efforts with the hotel, despite all the doubts everyone had thrown at her, were actually amounting to something! Sure, they hadn’t _actually_ rehabilitated anyone yet, but having insurance that a rehabilitated patient would enter heaven would definitely boost the morale of her residents! 

An added bonus was that Alastor had taken the news surprisingly well. Charlie had worried over his reaction to them hosting the angel in secret, but he’d merely given her a smile and polite nod of the head, his radio audience clapping along in delight as he congratulated her on sending off the angel and making contact with Heaven. He claimed he was too busy with his own business to have properly seen her off anyways - something which the protective side of Charlie was thankful for. Alastor might be her business partner, but he wasn’t necessarily rooting for the hotel’s success, so Charlie was glad he’d reacted as well as he had.

Smile finally feeling more natural, Charlie allowed her thoughts to roam into wishful territory. While the guardian angel she’d talked with hadn’t guaranteed anything, she hoped that her act could perhaps sway the usual horde of extermination that was scheduled to terrorize Hell. It was foolish to hope for, Charlie knew, but still she couldn’t help and wish that this year would somehow be different.

A slip of pink passed by Charlie’s peripheral. Brow raising, Charlie turned to investigate and found Angel Dust, dolled up as usual. Attempting to sneak out. 

“Angel?”

The spider demon in question froze, body momentarily caught between a state of fight or flight. Eventually resolving himself to the confrontation, Angel Dust turned to face her, Charlie catching a flash of sheepishness and guilt in his magenta eyes before he donned a smirk.

“That’s my name! Though usually they’re _screaming_ it in pleasure.” He feigned a loud moan to demonstrate, rolling his eyes up for effect. Charlie, equally amused and embarrassed by his display, gave him a small smile. 

“What can I do for ya, toots?”

“You’re not going out somewhere are you? There’s like 2 days left before the next Extermination…”

Angel Dust rubbed the back of his neck, avoidant of Charlie’s concerned puppy eyes. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he still regularly went out for business or pleasure (or both given his line of work), but he still preferred to keep it hush-hush if only to avoid Vaggie’s nagging or disappointing Charlie.

“That’s business for ya. My current one’s a real sadist when it comes to me. Lucky for him, I _love_ the pain.” Once again putting on a show to snuff out the faint flicker of guilt he felt, Angel Dust animatedly demonstrated his words by making a choke-hold motion.

Charlie chewed her lip, still eyeing her friend worriedly.

“Don’t you usually have today off though? You’ve never worked this close to the Extermination before.”

Angel Dust’s smirk faltered ever-so-slightly, mind running a mile a minute to think up of an escape.

“Times change, Charlie. Unlike _this_ beauty.” Here he gestured to his body, swaying his hips for emphasis. “This body is irresistible!” 

Noticing Charlie’s unchanging expression, Angel let out a sigh, dropping his arms and stepping closer to rest them on Charlie’s shoulders in reassurance. 

“Look, I’ll be alright. ‘m not some helpless newborn. I’ll be back before ya even miss me!”

Charlie met his eyes with hers, still hesitant.

“Before the extermination?”

Angel Dust nodded. “Before the extermination, and if not I’ll go clean for another week, promise.”

Charlie giggled at the way Angel’s face blanched as soon as he finished his sentence. He looked for all the world like he regretted saying anything, so she quickly nodded her approval.

They parted ways, Charlie sharing a smile with the spider demon and promising to hold him accountable while he flipped her off before leaving for the hotel lobby.

Once outside, Angel Dust finally spared a glance back at the hotel.

“Sorry for lyin’ to ya toots.” He took out his phone and quickly sent a message before turning his attention to the road. Charlie had been right that he hadn’t been called in for work, but Angel needed to keep his reputation and let loose every now and then. He looked at the hotel once more as he impatiently tapped his foot.

“I’ll keep my promise, don’t you worry. I like bein’ torn apart but not by the likes of those bastard angel fellas.”

Hearing the squeal of tires, he glanced up to see Cherri honking the car horn, a smirk automatically morphing on his face as he joined his best-friend for a night of partying and chaos.

  
  



	3. Meticulous Planning, Tenacity Spanning

Isolated from Charlie’s worries and Angel’s mischief, Alastor sat in his office, panting from exhaustion. 

If anyone had caught sight of the Radio Demon then, shortly before being smited from existence, they would have noticed his oddly disheveled appearance. With his bowtie loose and pinstripe suit hanging off the chair, the demon’s smile remained the only accessory unchanged on him. Not for the first time since his descent into Hell, Alastor felt the familiar simmering heat of anger towards the King. It was thanks to Lucifer that the lovely carnage he inflicted across Hell was cut short so soon, the bastard successfully cutting him off from a portion of his power; including the power he could amass from the mortal realm.

Or at least, that had been the case until a few days ago. A chuckle escaping from his lips, Alastor gleefully recalled the events leading to his most recent success. Starting, of course, with the princess. It was truly a wonder how she managed to continuously astound him with her naivety and surprising usefulness.

* * *

_A few days earlier..._

Being observant as he was, Alastor had noticed Charlie and Vaggie’s increased haste regarding the residents before rushing off together at the end of the day. He’d guessed at first that they simply desired more time together, sneering at the idea of the silly romantic gesture. He had ventured into Charlie’s office to discuss hotel matters when he saw the envelope. 

_The Heavenly Realm_ it read.

_‘How curious.’_

To his knowledge, communication between the realms of Heaven and Hell was extremely limited, with only the royalty having access. Yet, Lucifer was the King of Hell, so the letter being specifically delivered to Charlie was highly intriguing.

Alastor, while a gentleman, was also an opportunist. With a flick of his wrist, the protective seals surrounding it were broken, and he ripped the delicate vanilla envelope to reveal the letter inside. In sickeningly perfect cursive font, the following was written:

_‘ To: The Princess of Hell_

_Dear Ms. Magne,_

_It has come to our attention that one of our charges has mistakenly been sent to Hell and is currently under your care. We thank you for your efforts and request that you meet with an escort at the time and location listed below for safe passage. Please note that due to the sensitive nature of this exchange, only you should accompany the angel. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your compliance._

_Signed,_

_The Heavenly Realm_

_Bloods Point Road at 7:77’_

Scoffing, Alastor snapped his fingers and the letter returned into the now sealed envelope, looking pristine and untouched once more. The absolute arrogance of angels was _hilarious_ ; demanding something so _precious_ without anything in return. Perhaps even more hilarious was how the princess was sure to giddily comply, not even thinking twice about how to twist the situation to her advantage and reap benefits for the hotel. Alastor wouldn’t make the same mistake. 

Despite how intriguing it would’ve been to taste the flesh of an angel, an opportunity still lay ripe in his claws. Eyes glinting, he materialized into his office, leisurely pacing as he concocted his plan. While there was much unknown about the workings of the Heavenly Realm, Alastor had had plenty of time in Hell for research. The gateway sorting souls from the mortal realm to Heaven or Hell was open simultaneously for the sake of efficiency, as thousands of humans died each day. In theory, this meant the mortal realm was effectively sandwiched in between, and creating an opening from Hell to Heaven would inevitably pass through the mortal realm too.

That marked the beginning of Alastor’s plan to regain the source of power he got from deals in the mortal world. While the idea of passing through directly to Heaven to cause absolute mayhem caused his grin to widen, Alastor was neither an idiot nor suicidal. He knew he’d be instantly destroyed with the limitations the King had on his power, and the distance he’d have to trek. Being in the ninth circle of Hell and so close to the King meant the powers binding his own were irritatingly effective. Timing was going to be vital, since the passageway could be open for mere seconds. Complicating things further were the thick barriers between each level of Hell and between the mortal realm which he’d have to crash his way through, sustain enough energy to create a link through which he could return to the mortal realm with, and still have enough power left to return to Hell before the passageway disappeared. 

Eyes gleaming like blood-soaked rubies in the dark of the room, Alastor’s grin widened at the challenge ahead. The King’s pathetic attempts to deny him of his right to kill would prove to be in vain in the end. No matter how he was bound, Alastor would always break free and get his way. He’d make sure of it.

* * *

Hidden by the shadows, Alastor patiently bided his time, watching the exchange happen from a distance. In preparation for the day of the angel’s departure, he’d spent the days prior hunting and feasting upon dozens and dozens of prey until his fangs were stained a deep and luscious carmine. With Charlie and Vaggie occupied with taking care of the angel, no one had questioned his absence, further making it the perfect crime.

The tediously long exchange in front of him ended as Charlie retreated. The angel raised his hand. As the first sparks of power crackled from the angel’s fingers, Alastor dived, angling his body to ride the current with a burst of his power.

A deafening sense of silence seemed to encompass him, simultaneously hollow and oppressive. Then, the pain hit. All at once, each nerve along his body began to crackle and sting with pain, his cells seeming to combust one by one as the skin around his face seemed to both peel and melt away. Surrounded by complete agony, static-infused laughter was torn from his mouth in shrieks, his sharp teeth gnashing against one another until his own blood spilled down across his lips. Hit by what felt like an impenetrable force, Alastor’s breath was knocked out of him as his body was thrown back, before once more being propelled forward by the upward streaming current. The invisible wall burned at his skin, a wretched scream of fury escaping him as he tore his claws in. 

_**“LET ME IN, DAMN YOU. YOU WILL LET ME PASS.”** _

At last, his body snapped through, limbs convulsing wildly around him, his bones contracting as they threatened to shatter like glass. 

And then the scalding fortress hit again and again.

And again. 

And again. 

And on, and on, and on, and on, 

until at last, he was surrounded in the overwhelming sensation of ice. Numb from the pain and struggling to stop laughing, Alastor embraced the burning sensation, this time caused by the cold. The tips of his claws and nose cracked, blood threatening to break its way past the fragile surface of his skin as he ascended further up into the icy tundra. 

He couldn’t breathe. Choking, Alastor’s claws frantically dug upwards, pushing aside dirt until he was met with air. Gasping for breath, Alastor feebly attempted to climb out of the ground and failed, each movement causing a searing pain which forced out deranged laughter. A fading spark caught his eye and Alastor let his remaining power sink into the ground through his claws, creating a link in the mortal realm. 

Then, with a final push, Alastor let himself fall back through the icy boundary separating the mortal realm from the boundaries of hell, laughing all the way down as he was frozen and scalded and torn apart all over again. 

* * *

Back in the present, Alastor’s gleeful laughter grew more and more maniacal. Even now, days after his trip to the mortal realm, his power was still barely recovering. His pride and fall back down to Hell had given him just enough power to take him back home, where he’d been rendered immobile. Still, he’d remained smiling. 

Against all odds, he’d broken through the barriers known as impenetrable. He turned all impossibilities into the possible until only he himself remained impossible to comprehend, to defeat, to _**stop.** _

Spite fueled his veins, pride made him stand, and satisfaction painted his smile. No less disheveled but power hungry as ever, he prepared to hunt once more to regain his powers. 

While his body lacked the strength, the shoulders of his shadow shook with Alastor’s laughter at the image of the almighty King’s face pathetically twisted in pain and agony when he first fell from Heaven. 

**_“You are nothing. I will crush you like the bones of the prey upon which I feast.”_ **

Without a single sound more, he was gone, vanishing into the forest as though he’d never existed.

  
  



	4. The Beast Wakes From Its Slumber

Blurry eyes blinked, unfocused, lids heavy with the weight of exhaustion. A strangled groan escaped the spider, the pounding headache in his skull throbbing insistently. Cradling his head, Angel Dust squinted, trying to make out where he was and failing. After sparing a short glance around the room, he found himself alone and still clothed, albeit a bit bedraggled. Neither of those revelations were surprising - he’d woken up in some stranger’s bed more times than he could count (though typically with less clothes), but the aftereffects he was still experiencing were new. The room swerved around him, solid shapes morphing into fluids until they broke off and became whole again, speckling across his vision.

“Ughh what the fuckk? What did I smoke yesterday…?”

Trying to recall his memories, only fragments came to mind - some big shot Daddy in a trenchcoat buying him a drink, the glint of a smile, his claws grasping that handsome jaw and then darkness. Angel Dust clutched his skull as another pang of pain reverberated through it, struggling to stand. When he finally did, he felt the oddest sense of detachment, seeing his legs move but being unable to feel them. Trudging his way out of the room, he struggled with the doorknob, anger quickly mounting before he harshly kicked it open.

Outside, the typical night sky of hell greeted him, and he stared listlessly at the moon for what felt like hours before finally taking out his phone. Which was dead. Fan-fucking-tastic. Now how the fuck was he gonna get home?

As if a bolt of lightning had struck him, Angel dimly remembered he’d promised Charlie he’d go clean if he wasn’t back in time. Trying to think of why exactly he had to be back worsened his headache, so he resolved to focus on walking to the hotel since his phone was dead. On any other day he’d be taking the risk of being mugged by being this drugged and out of his mind. Demons were keen to take advantage where they saw an opportunity, after all. Angel couldn’t find it in him to care, however, and the streets were luckily quiet.

Too quiet, he realized, after walking several blocks. Slowing his pace to observe his surroundings, Angel found the place to be eerily desolate, boards covering the windows of the houses in the neighborhood. Paranoia rapidly rising, his breath sped up as he began walking faster, eyes rapidly darting left and right as glowing eyes peeked out at him from the curtains; curious and  _ bloodthirsty _ _._ Ready to jump out at any second and claw him to pieces.

The claws he’d buried in his hair tightened and he closed his eyes, forcing out a few breaths as he tried to calm down. He was no stranger to the side effects of phencyclidine, which often made him overly paranoid and anxious over things there was no reason to panic over. He forced his attention onto taking the next step forward, deliberately slowing his pace and controlling his breath. He made it safely into the next neighborhood and some of the tension seeped out of his shoulders, a nervous laugh escaping him at how foolishly scared he’d been.

Catching some movement in his peripheral, he watched as some demons, presumably homeless, scurried around in the alley next to him. Hiding under their meager belongings and trash, they reeked of desperation, and his shortly-lived relief was replaced with uneasiness. They watched him with astonishment and raw terror, eyes darting between him and the sky. An impending sense of doom weighed on Angel’s shoulders as the sound of distant buzzing filled his ears. 

Swallowing thickly, he turned around, eyes frantically searching the sky.

The sound of blaring sirens barely registered in his ears, stomach dropping as he finally saw them.

_ The Extermination had begun. _

* * *

Once the residents were all safely in their rooms, occupying themselves one way or another to distract from the oncoming slaughter, Charlie took a seat at the bar, pouring herself a glass of water since Husk was off on his break. Anxiously, she tugged at her hair and willed the hotel doors to pop open with Angel Dust striding in like a model on a cat-walk. It’d been two days since he left, and while the spider was prone to disappearing for days at a time before returning intact, Charlie couldn’t help the worry that built in her heart for her friend. He was never usually out this close to the Purge. Vaggie had also noticed his absence and questioned her, letting out a string of expletives in Spanish when Charlie mentioned how long he’d been gone for.

“ _ Qué Cabrón _ _!_ I’m gonna skin him alive when he gets back.  _ Maldito gilipollas _ _!_ ” Fuming, she paced back and forth, equal parts worried and angry. Charlie could only give her a nervous smile, caught up in her own worries for her spider friend.

The sound of screaming caused them to halt, and the two demons looked at each other in shock, running to the door. A blur of white and pink limbs crashed into Charlie as soon as she opened them, spastic and terrified. She quickly stood back up with Vaggie’s help, the two women clutching Angel Dust’s arms in an attempt to calm him down.

“Angel! Where have you been?! What’s wrong?!”

Still on the ground, the spider demon’s body twitched and spasmed uncontrollably, his words incoherent even as his eyes focused in on Charlie. Gasping for breath, the demon momentarily struggled to speak, hallucinations of monsters trying to eat him alive fading in and out. He shook his head violently, finally managing to stutter out the dreaded words.

“Angels - swarm - comin’ here! T-they saw me, I-I’m sorry-.” Unable to continue, a hysterical sob broke past Angel Dust’s lips, feeling absolute terror and still drugged out of his mind, certain he was going to die.

Dread filled the veins of the two demons supporting him the second he mentioned angels, terror freezing them both in place. The air around them seemed to subtly thrum with energy, the vibrations growing stronger and stronger. Snapped back into the present by Angel’s warm and bloody tears, Charlie snapped her fingers to summon Razzle and Dazzle, clenching her fists around the moth’s arm to wake Vaggie from her own trance. The two lifted Angel onto the goat’s back, and she instructed them to take him and everyone else down to the hotel’s basement. A shivering and incoherently babbling mess, Charlie squeezed Angel’s hand as a brief comfort, and then the two goats were off, sensing their master’s haste. 

Feeling the ground vibrate underneath their feet, the sound of a distant scream resonated through the hotel, shortly followed by buildings collapsing and more panic. Grasping the door handles once more, Charlie swung open the doors of the hotel.

Like a swarm of golden locusts, the angels swooped down across the grounds of the underworld, leaving the streets bare of bodies, with only desperate screams still echoing as one demon after the other was slaughtered. Charlie watched with terror as the carnage took place, frozen in a grotesque sense of awe until the swarm began to change its path. The seconds seem to tick by in mere increments, her ears popping with a crackle as the gusts of their wings teasingly graced her features; a mere calm before the oncoming storm.

  
_They’re coming. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the tensions is rising >:) 
> 
> id like to give an overwhelming thank you to Snudder_Mado and happy+endings for making my day with their comments! you guys have no idea how much i enjoyed reading them haha. a massive thank you to everyone who gave kudos or hits to my fic as well! I can't believe we've passed 300 hits and 20 kudos - that's insane! 
> 
> tune in next week to see what happens to the hazbin cast...
> 
> comments/kudos are appreciated and fill my soul <3


	5. Divine Pestilence; Ravenous and Unyielding

Senses dulled by a forced sense of calm, the jarring feeling of ice cut across her veins at a sharp intake of breath, Charlie turning to find Vaggie, her eye fixated on their rapidly approaching doom.

_**They’re going to hurt the hotel.** _

The pounding in her chest seemed deafening. 

_**They’re going to hurt Vaggie. Angel. Nifty. Everyone-** _

**_“N O!”_ **

Her angered scream caused the building to tremble and Vaggie was forcefully pushed through the hallways and into the basement, the doors slamming shut behind her as she screamed Charlie’s name.

“Nononono _**no** _-!”

Sinking her rapidly sharpening claws into her face, Charlie’s body morphed. Her sclera boasted a rich vermillion, pupils glimmering like supernovas within a milkyway of fear, anger and desperation. Horns rose from her head, tainting porcelain white skin with a splash of red as her teeth tapered until they were like sharp stalactites, ready to tear through flesh. Her wings emerged, stiff from a lack of use but still majestic. 

Flying up into the air, she faced the oncoming swarm, eyes pinpointed on their smiles, effervescent even as viscera coated their scythes. 

Alone, her mind raced.

Where the hell was Alastor? Surely he’d have joined her if he sensed the swarm so nearby. He was the only one they had who could easily fight off the angels with his powers, but she couldn’t sense him at all! Telepathically, she commanded Razzle and Dazzle to find and alert him, trusting Angel to Vaggie and Niffty’s care. 

Eyes twitching in both anxiety and impatience, Charlie’s eyes darted around as the homes leading up to the hotel were destroyed by the angel’s collective wind power, leaving the demons in them powerless against the angels’ wrath. Unable to stomach the gorey display for long, Charlie summoned a wall of fire, willing it to surround the hotel. 

Fixating the task of upholding the barrier to her hands, Charlie wracked her mind for how she could fight or delay the angels until Alastor arrived. A prick of darkness swelled in her heart, and she shook her head. Charlie refused to water the seed of doubt inside her heart which whispered he may never come; he _had_ to.

A strong gust hit against the barrier, causing the fire to flare up. Pupils widening, an idea came to Charlie’s mind. 

If she could keep the angels close yet far enough away, each gust of wind their wings generated would feed the fire of her barrier!

Biting her lip without any mind for her sharp fangs, Charlie eyed the buildings nearby with discomfort. Her plan was a risky ploy; if the swarm got too close, her barrier could be entirely destroyed along with the hotel. But...getting them within the perfect range meant the attacks would deflect off of her fire and onto the surrounding demons since she’d made a barrier. 

Shrouded with uncertainty, Charlie let out a cry of pain when the tip of a scythe grazed her arm, the brief contact scalding her skin. She wailed with unimaginable pain. An angel had approached her barrier without her noticing, its beady eyes rife with bloodlust as it swung through the barrier in an attempt to slice her apart. 

Sweat beading along her skin, Charlie hurled fireballs at the angel in vain, the divine pest swiftly dodging each of her throws. Summoning anything more intricate would mean taking attention away from the barrier since it was huge, so Charlie focused on dodging the angel’s scythe whenever it tore through the fire and retaliated whenever it flew back. 

Feeling her power strain from the length and scale of her use, fear filled her chest as her barrier momentarily faltered, the angel slamming up against it last minute and letting out a cry of pain. The loud reverberation caught the attention of other nearby angels, Charlie watching in horror as they joined in on battering away at her. 

_‘Oh god oh god oh god oh god, please Alastor,_ **_please.’_ **

**_‘Where are you?!’_ **

Dismissing the fireballs and drawing further into the barrier, Charlie squeezed her eyes shut, focusing all of her energy into sustaining the barrier, _**begging**_ for some kind of miracle. 

Feeling a familiar trace of energy, Charlie’s eyes popped open to the sight of her two loyal companions Razzle and Dazzle. Letting out a hysterical laugh of relief, Charlie relaxed slightly. 

‘He’s not coming, Ms. Charlie. He felt the call but he ignored it.’

The sting of the angel’s scythes felt welcoming compared to the sharp stab of betrayal which ricocheted throughout her entire form. 

“I..”

**_“I’m alone.”_ **

The deafening clang of the angel’s persistent scythes tearing through suddenly seemed distant. A sense of isolation and horror unlike Charlie had ever felt before dominated her senses. At that moment, only she and her impending death existed. A disgusting locust-like swarm ready to ravage away everything she cared for with a _single_ swipe. And no one cared. 

Bloody tears streamed past her eyes like stained waterfalls, her body quaking with a wretched sense of helplessness.

**_‘He’s not coming. They’re going to break through this barrier and hurt you. Kill you. Kill t h e m.’_ **

Hysteria surged through each muscle in her body, a raging fire rising from within to encase her form like a protective cocoon. Outside, her barrier flared and faltered with her wavering emotions, the angels growing nearer and nearer and nearer.

**_‘They’re gonna die, they’re gonna die, we’re gonna die-’_ **

Every cell in her body screamed in agitation, frenzy coursing through her veins until she was left with one thought.

**_‘I won’t let them.’_ **

She had dreamt of this all her life, _struggled_ for it under the crushing weight of everyone’s wants, everyone’s expectations - under the cruel standard of success when she was never even given a podium to reach for. It had taken months, _months_ of time and exertion and kind words to demons to even find and convince a few to seek retribution. And it was going to be taken from her; destroyed. All because some entity up in another realm decided it to be so.

Well, Charlie would show they had no power here, not against her flesh and blood and livelihood. Not against all the demons that deserved a second chance.

Something seemed to pulse deep inside her, and Charlie reached in, her fingers grazing against a soft object which she quickly recognized as Lily’s parting gift. Clenching her fists around the feather, electricity seemed to pass through her whole body - now glowing blindingly white. The angels shrieked in pain at the dazzling glare, music to Charlie’s ears.

Her whole body felt lightweight, suddenly rejuvenated despite the massive spikes of energy coursing out of each point in her body. She felt... _pure_ . Pure _power_ and hunger and _love_ ; the emotions passing through her in harmony and unison. Leisurely opening her eyes, Charlie allowed the fear and confusion in the angels’ gaze to grace her with indifference. Her jaw loosened, letting forth a colossal roar of golden fire which annihilated anything in its path.

The angels screeched in protest, forcefully catapulted backwards and scattered across the city - the combined blast of the fire and their bodies decimating any standing structure in their way. Still, Charlie continued letting the power flow forward. Squawking with collective dissent, the angels beat their wings, light burns decorating their lithe bodies as they gathered into a swarm once more, flying off to terrorize another part of Hell.

When the last speck of power left Charlie’s senses, she closed her mouth, heaving. She’d never felt so unstoppable. Caught by the remnants of the addictive power, Charlie tried to chase the source, fleeting as it caressed her senses and tongue. She felt fatigue, sudden and endless and inescapable. Black spots filled her vision, white noise becoming louder and louder. In vain she tried to stay awake, and willed away the barriers she’d set around the hotel and basement to keep her friends safe. 

Brain seconds from shutting down, Charlie only had an instant to acknowledge she was going to fall before she was unconscious. 

Her body plummeted through the air, hair violently flailing like a golden halo behind her. 

Gloved claws, maroon with a sprinkling of magenta, effortlessly caught her body moments before it hit the ground. Head tilted at an odd angle, a sharp and never-ending grin greeted her unconscious self.

“Seems like you’ve made quite a mess, my dear.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! it's been a week so I hope you're all doing well haha
> 
> this chapter delves a bit into Charlie's untapped power as a child of a fallen angel and a succubus/demon! obviously the rules im establishing for this universe aren't necessarily canon, but it's definitely an interesting part of her which I wanted to explore in my fic. hopefully stuff will make more sense in the next few chapters
> 
> also the whole flight thing is curtesy of the wiki page for her; did not know that was a thing but damn if it isn't cool to imagine Charlie's demon form with wings!
> 
> that aside, massive thanks to you all!! i cant believe we're nearly up to 500 HITS and 30 kudos already! you guys are amazing <33 Yuyu_Mortis and Dying_Sun have my heart and soul for their kind comments last chapter; it always brightens my day to see them c:
> 
> next chapter we'll be exploring where exactly alastor's been throughout this whole mess..


	6. A Deal & A Dirty Play

In the days following his success in establishing a link to the mortal world, Alastor had decorated his claws with countless gallons of blood. The entire process of regaining his powers was annoying, to say the least, though he took delight in the idea of how any lower level demon would’ve been torn apart attempting what he had. 

Humming an old tune, Alastor grabbed his scalpel and expertly cut the body in front of him. He was sure to enjoy extra tender venison while watching the annual purge. Licking his lips in anticipation he spun the scalpel, watching the light reflect off its sharp tip. Preparing to make another incision, he halted when one of the shadow demons he’d left to scour the overworld alerted him. Taking out his handkerchief, he wiped the blood off his scalpel, looking down at his would-be dinner with a small sigh.

“Pity, I’d rather been looking forward to dinner with a show. “ His radio audience sighed along in disappointment and Alastor’s smile widened. 

“Ah well, there’s a deal to be had. An appetizer never hurt anyone.”

With a snap of his fingers, a portal appeared and he stepped in.

* * *

Muttering unpleasantries under his breath, Alastor stood after face planting into the ground, dusting off any dirt from his shoulders. His landing had been much less graceful than his entrance, the connection between the two realms still unstable. He also hadn’t appeared exactly where his client was, which was a nuisance. Nevertheless, he’d arrived, so Alastor focused his attention to surveying his surroundings. He appeared to be near what looked like a fortified camp, armed guards surrounding the odd enclosure. Intrigued, he willed himself into his shadow form and ventured inside.

A central pavilion with hundreds of people took up a large part of the odd camp, all of them sitting attentively as the lecturer taught them warped versions of historical events, each twisted to glorify and incorporate the camp leader. Alastor raised his brow, amused by who exactly he'd be meeting with already. Sensing a shortwave radio nearby, he allowed himself to travel along its wavelengths before materializing.

The man in front of him startled, drawing back in shock. Alastor leaned in, his smile widening.

“Hello! I take it that you, my fine fellow, are Tod Valton?”

The man fixed his composure and coughed, nodding his head.

“I am. You’re ‘Alastor’, if I’m correct?”

“Indeed! Seems like you have quite the establishment going, Valton. What do you need?”

Valton stood his ground despite the unnerving grin and energy the demon gave off and opened his mouth, ready to start the negotiations.

* * *

Alastor had openly laughed when the man pridefully boasted about his successful following and expressed his need for more money while they awaited the next set of monthly welfare payments to continue his brainwashing.

_ ‘Dearie me, humans are hilarious!’ _

Wiping away a tear as the radio echoed his laughs and the man heatedly began an argument, he felt a brief but insistent tug. Focus drifting from his client, he analyzed the energy trace, clicking his tongue when he recognized it as belonging to Charlie. Or rather, her goat companions given the weak nature of the signal. He guessed they’d most likely be in his office, the last place he’d allowed his energy signature to leave a trace. Still, while the sudden call was unexpected, his current business took priority.

The man in front of him began to talk of the capital punishment he inflicted on anyone who dared escape or disobey him and Alastor’s grin widened. If what the man in front of him was saying was right, he’d amass hundreds of deaths! Oh the power he’d gain when he entered Hell - why, it’d be enough to reckon his own! Or would have been, except he was going to sign it all away to Alastor. Chuckling, Alastor held up a hand, summoning a contract and pen.

“I’ve heard enough my good fellow! I’ll get you your cash right after you sign right here. Formalities and all.”

Skimming over the text, Alastor’s lip curled in delight as the man signed away his soul. Rolling up the contract, the paper disappeared with a snap of his fingers, replaced by money which the man eagerly tore from his hands. Satisfied, Alastor gave a polite bow like the gentlemen he was.

“Pleasure doing business with you. Abyssinia in Hell!”

And with that, he was gone through the radio once more, static-filled laughter echoing after him.

* * *

Arriving back in the forest he’d left from, Alastor noted with distaste that his kill had begun to spoil. A shame, really, though he should’ve expected it given time passed by faster in Hell than the Overworld. Perhaps he could still catch the end of his show.

Teleporting himself near the gates of Hell, Alastor was surprised to see a lack of the typical destruction and viscera. Hearing the distant shriek of angels, Alastor wondered what compelled them so deep into the city without causing more harm. 

Remembering the tug he’d received from Charlie, Alastor’s eyes narrowed, willing himself to materialize at the hotel.

Upon his arrival, his attention was caught by the odd bareness of the surroundings and he looked up, claws gingerly wrapping around to catch the princess as she fell from the sky. She seemed unharmed, if severely weakened based on the faint energy she radiated.

“Seems like you’ve made quite a mess, my dear.”

And indeed, she had. The buildings around the hotel were blasted clean off, nearby homes and their residents obliterated. Not the handiwork of the angels, but by herself.

His grin widening at the wide-scale destruction, Alastor’s grip tightened, a thrill in his eyes as he studied her unconscious face.

_ ‘So this is what you’re capable of, princess. Color me impressed!’ _

His chest rumbled with laughter and Charlie groaned, leaning her face into him even as she remained asleep.

“You never fail to surprise me, sweetheart.”

Before he could scrutinize Charlie or admire the surrounding damage any more, the front doors burst open, Vaggie and a disheveled Angel Dust running out.

“CHARLIE!” Her scream was unpleasantly loud as she raced towards them, her worried gaze resting on Charlie before turning to glare at him. Alastor merely gave her his signature grin.

“What did you DO to her, Alastor?!”

“Why, I’ve only just arrived to see the lovely mess the princess made.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Vaggie grabbed Charlie from his arms, cradling her close as she fussed over her, making sure she was still alive. Angel Dust approached them cautiously, and Alastor noted the glint of guilt in his eyes with interest. The rest of the residents peeked out from the doors, watching the exchange and the destroyed buildings around them with surprise. Leveling them with his smile, Alastor watched with delight as they scurried away, leaving only his associates. He went to join them.

Niffty was the first to jump out and greet him, unsurprisingly.

“Oh Mr. Al! We’re so glad you’re back! It was so scary when they told us all to hide because the angels were heading our way! We thought we were gonna die!” Husk blanched at her inclusion of him, though he didn’t deny any of her words, choosing to nurse his bottle instead.

Tears welled up in Niffty’s eye and Alastor gently patted her head.

“Come now my dear, no need to fret. The princess drove those pesky terrors away. It’s left quite a mess behind which could use a good clean!”

Perking up at the mention of a mess, Niffty’s gaze shifted to the outside.

“Gee, I had no idea Charlie was so strong! And so messy...this simply won’t do!” 

Leaving her to scurry off and occupy herself, Alastor turned his attention to Husk.

“Care to explain, Husker?”

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Husk dragged his paw across his face.

“‘S like she said. Drinkin’ one minute, next minute we’re all shoved into a tiny ass basement room and that moth lady is losing her shit. Had no clue what the fuck was happening until we heard the screams from outside.” He paused, shivering and continued. “Nasty and loud as hell too. Angel was freaking out big time too - must’ve been on some serious shit cause he kept screaming about monsters that weren't even there.”

Husk took another drink as Alastor processed the information.

“Peculiar, isn’t it?”

Husk looked up.

“What, the angels? Yeah, those bastards don’t usually come this far. Guess they’re getting hungry.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed in thought.

“Indeed!” Eyeing Charlie’s unconscious body as she was carried up by her goats and followed by the moth and spider demon, a suspicion formed in Alastor’s mind.

“I should get going, Husker my good fellow. It seems like some under-handed work is at play.”

Husk let out a sigh as his Boss disappeared. He looked on from a distance as Charlie’s body was brought up to her room. They were by no means close, especially with his first impression of the princess being an overly-bombastic and naive idiot. He’d only started working there since Alastor forced him to, after all. Now, after she’d held off the angels, he felt a begrudging sense of respect and... _ gratefulness _ _._ Not something he’d felt in a long while. Shaking his head, he emptied off the bottle in his hand and went to grab another, too sober for these types of thoughts for his liking. He just hoped she’d recover soon.

* * *

Flying over the streets of the city of Hell below, Alastor followed the path of wreckage and divine power energy with the help of his shadows. It was peculiar to say the least. The traces of energy broke off almost immediately in front of Hell’s Gate, suddenly reappearing in a seemingly random part of the city a few blocks before the hotel. Almost as though they’d been  _ teleported  _ somehow. 

Interestingly, he’d caught a trace of Angel Dust’s energy leading from there to the hotel. Thinking back to Husk’s words, he remembered the demon mentioned Angel Dust’s delirious and drugged state. A set up, then, where someone covertly drugged him and used him as insurance that the angels would find the hotel. 

Alastor chuckled. There was only one person capable of pulling off a cruel feat of such scale and power when it came to creatures of the Heavenly Realm.

“Playing dirty are we, Lucifer? How entertaining!” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! thank you for the 35 kudos and over 600 HITS!! you guys are amazing as usual <3
> 
> next chapter we'll finally see a proper interaction between our lovely Charlotte Magne and the dastardly Alastor, and the beginning of some very important character development. thank you for reading and seeya next time! c:
> 
> kudos & comments are appreciated and feed my soul <3


	7. The Sting of Desertion, The Start of Independence

Charlie awoke to the feeling of her chest caving in. Struggling to sit up, she pressed a hand to her chest, heaving under the foreign pressure which threatened to cut off her breath. After a few minutes, the sensation dulled and she greedily breathed in, willing her heart to calm. Looking around, she found herself to be under the covers of her bed with Vaggie resting beside her in a chair. The moth’s eye was puffy and her hair an unkempt mess - a clear sign of the worry she’d been wracked with. Letting out a sigh, Charlie affectionately raked her claws through Vaggie’s hair. Guilt and relief battled with each other in her mind, relieved that she was alive, but guilty for the stress she’d undoubtedly put Vaggie through.

Quietly shuffling away from the bed, Charlie wrapped a blanket over the moth’s shoulders before stepping out of the room. The corridor was silent, everyone retired to their respective rooms. Allowing her senses to lead her through the darkness, Charlie traced over the picture frames along the walls as she walked. A gust of wind teased her hair and she followed its direction, finding herself on one of the hotel’s many balconies.

Her fists clenched the railing tightly, finally confronted with the after-effects of her battle with the angels. Shame bubbled up from within like a rumbling volcano, erupting and turning into despair. She’d saved the hotel...but at what cost? She was the princess of Hell, meant to protect her people from the cruel purges...but did she have the right to promote redemption when she’d caused so much wreckage?

The demolished buildings in front of her lay silent, the demons once residing in them dead. In the moment, she’d only been thinking of the hotel - terrified of losing everything and everyone. She remembered the sensation that had suddenly pulsed deep within her, overwhelming and addictive at the same time. How her nerves had been set on fire as soon as she clenched her fingers around Lily’s feather, electricity running through her skin. 

_‘The feather!’_

She dug her hands into her pockets, patting herself down in panic as she looked for the feather. Hands fumbling in the inside-pockets of her jacket, Charlie calmed when she finally felt the wispy vane against her fingers and pulled it out.

A surprised gasp left her lips. Under the light of the moon, the once pure-white feather was tainted, an inky black staining it halfway from the bottom up. Charlie gently ran her fingers along it in awe, the dormant power hiding within invoking a ticklish sensation along her skin. Had this been what helped her win? Some sort of divine power? It had felt like her own back then; the feeling harmonious and addictive despite being foreign. Charlie bit her lip, her mind filled with questions. Divine power was limited to angels...or at least it should have been. Yet she’d been able to host it, if temporarily, without being harmed. Was it because her father used to be an angel? Did he still have some control over it now? How was it possible the feather held power at all? Lily was a would-be angel, or at least she seemed like it given her lack of wings...but then where did she get the feather from? Did all soon-to-be angels get one? 

Confusion mounted and mounted until it finally burst in the form of a headache. Groaning, Charlie cradled her face in her hands.

“Having trouble sleeping, my dear?”

Caught off guard, Charlie flinched at the sudden voice, scrambling to hide the feather before whipping around to face Alastor. He seemed amused by her fumbling and stepped onto the balcony to join her, looking over the destruction in front of them with delight.

“O-Oh A-Alastor, you startled me!”

He let out a low chuckle, the moon glinting off his monocle as he turned to face her.

“Indeed! It seems to be one of my many talents!”

The light of the moon cast his face in a shadow, outlining his lean form as his eyes and smile glowed eerily. It was simultaneously entrancing and fear-inducing, the intensity of his gaze ensnaring Charlie into a momentary stupor.

Then, she remembered.

Mouth twisting into a frown, Charlie tore her eyes away, fixating her attention somewhere in the distance.

“You...didn’t come.”

She glanced back, their eyes momentarily meeting. He tilted his head, his smile still present.

“I didn’t.”

His admission was nonchalant, blunt and careless. The pit in her stomach deepened.

“Razzle and Dazzle said that you felt it, when I called for you. That you ignored it. Why?”

Her tone was deliciously dejected, causing his shoulders to shake with barely hidden laughter.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Charlie sucked in a breath, the sting of betrayal from earlier heightening.

“I-I don’t understand, Alastor...I’ve never asked for your help since the day you offered to help me with the hotel...I thought we were working together to make it succeed.”

Unable to hold back his amusement anymore, Alastor laughed, mindless of the way each cruel peal of laughter stabbed the princess’s heart.

“Oh, _Charlotte_ _,_ you’re such a riot! You forget that I’m here for entertainment above all; to see sinners fail in their pitiful attempts for redemption! Really now, you couldn’t possibly have thought this hotel was my priority. I’m a busy fellow you know - I have deals to make and souls to steal, and today was no exception.”

Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Charlie turned her body away from his, unwilling to expose her teary eyes to his amused indifference. 

“Y-yeah, I guess y-you’re right...Sorry, Alastor.”

Shaking his head, Alastor turned to head in for the night.

“Oh and Charlie?”

The princess quickly swiped at her face before turning to face him once more. In the darkness of the balcony doorway, she could only see his eyes and sharp teeth, disembodied as though he was some shapeless monster. 

“It’s supposed to get chilly later on. Don’t stay out for too long~.”

The click of his shoes followed after him as he left, silence consuming the empty space before her once more.

_‘I’m such an idiot.’_

The self-deprecating thought was instantaneous, Charlie looking down at her claws despondently. 

What had she expected? Alastor had made his reasons for helping the hotel and his beliefs in redemption clear from the start. She had no right to feel angry at him or betrayed. And even if she did have the right, she couldn’t bring herself to feel either. Sure, she and Alastor had overlapping interests in music, singing and dancing, and they’d had their moments, but was that really enough to make her forget how she’d gotten this far? From the beginning, she’d struggled alone to make her idea valid in the eyes of her own parents. In the eyes of others. To show that redemption was possible, probable, even if it wasn’t instant. It was through that struggle that she’d found Vaggie along the way, the moth supporting her idea if not her methods. Methods which she’d gone through with anyways, and while unsuccessful in some sense, had resulted in Alastor contributing to make the hotel what it was today. She’d been the one to select the residents, scouting them out personally when she believed they had a chance for redemption.

She was the one that fought tooth and nail to protect everyone. Who somehow went as far as to use divine power to draw the angels away.

Not Alastor. 

Just her.

Taking out the feather once more to run her fingers through its soft vane, Charlie closed her eyes tightly, sending a prayer of thanks to Lily for her gift. Like a true miracle, it had been there when she’d been weak, supplying her with the power to protect the people she cared about. But it hadn’t been without consequence. She was drained, and guilt still clung to her tightly whenever she saw the ruins of the battle. Perhaps it was for the best that Alastor hadn’t come. She would take responsibility for the damage she’d caused. If Alastor wouldn’t change, then she would. 

She’d become stronger, more independent. She wouldn’t have to depend on either Alastor or the divine power to be the savior.

Looking down at the feather in her hands, Charlie cracked a small smile.

“Thank you, my friend... You helped me when I needed it the most. But you’re too powerful...too dangerous. I-I...I hope to never use you again.”

For a long moment, Charlie was silent. Then, she tucked the feather into her inner pocket, hastily walking inside and shutting the doors behind her. Its power thrummed against her with each step.

The stars facing the balcony twinkled knowingly as she left, almost as though they were laughing. 

* * *

In the morning, Charlie held Vaggie in her arms reassuringly as the demon sobbed in relief. She was surprised to find out she’d been unconscious for several days - another testament to the consequences which came with using divine power. Her resolve to never use it again strengthened, even as she kept it to herself in secret. 

Once the moth had calmed, Charlie pulled away, letting her know she was going to see Angel Dust. Vaggie seemed reluctant to let her out of her sight or out of bed but gave in when Charlie used her puppy-eyes, making a show of her lack of injuries and the stiffness of her muscles. 

“I’ll call you down in a bit for food then, hon. You haven’t eaten in days!”

Stomach rumbling on cue, Charlie gave her a sheepish smile. Vaggie laughed, shaking her head fondly despite herself before heading downstairs.

Making her way to Angel’s door, Charlie knocked politely.

“Fuck off, Vaggie.” 

Giggling at her friend’s silliness, she knocked again, calling out with her voice.

“It’s me, Angel.”

Scrambling could be heard from inside the room, the door whipping open to show Angel Dust.

“Charlie! Holy shit, you’re actually alive! Come on, you waitin’ for an invitation or somethin’?” 

He grabbed her hands and pulled her in, Charlie looking around in curiosity at the large vanity table and wigs decorating the room, along with the colorful and suggestive posters haphazardly plastered on the walls. On the bed sat Fat Nuggets, happily curled up next to Angel Dust once he sat down. Not waiting for her to sit, Angel launched into conversation.

“I’m surprised to see ya up after how fucked up you looked. Ya freaked us all out back there, Charlie. Vaggie especially; she wouldn’t let anyone go in! Her demon form should be a bulldog or somethin’.”

Despite the light-hearted jokes, Charlie could see the genuine concern and relief in Angel’s eyes as they darted along her body in search of injuries.

“I’m okay, don’t worry! Sorry for worrying you.”

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he stopped his scrutiny and playfully punched her in the arm.

“Better be. Pretty sure Vaggie would kick me out without you around.”

Charlie let out another giggle and the two relaxed, sharing a smile.

“Angel...what exactly happened that day? Why were you so late?”

Angel cringed as he remembered, the memories still fresh in his mind.

“I uh...got drugged, I think. With some seriously heavy shit. ‘m usually more careful with my doses since I OD’d ‘nd all. Had no idea I’d been gone for so long or that it was fucking Purge day until I saw one of those bastards and hauled my ass here. ‘m keepin’ my promise by the way. Don’t feel like touching zilch after the shitstorm that went down anyways.”

Charlie nodded her approval at his choice to abstain for the time being, her brow furrowed in concern at the alarming information he’d told her.

“Drugged? Do you have any idea by who? Did they hurt you at all?”

Angel shook his head, idly petting Fat Nuggets.

“No fucking clue. Cherri was with me at the beginnin’ of the night but we split ways; she says I went off with some rich lookin’ pimp. Fuckin’ weirdo though. None of my shit was gone ‘nd I was still clothed when I woke up; no marks no nothin’. Asshole just drugged me and dipped.”

Mulling over the information in her mind, the two lapsed into a brief silence.

“Hey...uh...Charlie.”

She glanced up, noticing the oddly sheepish way Angel Dust was acting. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes.

“Thanks. For saving us ‘nd shit. I uh...saw the damage ya did. Always thought you were a prissy goody-two shoes scared of hurtin’ a fly, but seein’ what ya did to keep us safe…” Fiddling with his thumbs nervously, a faint blush seemed to form on his face as he struggled with his next words.

“I...appreciate ya. Bein’ my friend. And stuff.”

A wide smile rising to her face, Charlie beamed with happiness.

“Awww! Of course, Angel! I appreciate you being my friend too!!”

Embarrassment amplifying, Angel turned his face away, scoffing.

“Yeah, yeah, ya better. Think Vags is calling for ya though, get going before she loses her shit again ‘nd flips out on me.”

Feeling some of the guilt in her system lessen, Charlie stood, wrapping her arms around him in a quick hug before heading out. She giggled as she heard his muffled embarrassed grumblings and made her way back down through the corridor to the staircase.

On her way down she passed Alastor, the two meeting eyes for a moment before she quickened her pace. Watching her go, Alastor’s smile widened, amused by her fiery determination.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello wonderful readers! thank you magnificent souls so SO much for over 750 hits and 40+ kudos!! it seriously warms my heart to know people are reading this stuff haha
> 
> this chapter wasn't the happiest interaction between the two, but much needed for Charlie to have some serious self realizations c: next time we'll begin delving into the impact of Alastor's words on Charlie and how it pushes her to become stronger. thank you for reading and hope to seeya then!
> 
> kudos & comments are appreciated and feed my soul <3


	8. Strength And Fragility

Two weeks passed by in relative peace. Holding true to her promise to get stronger, Charlie dedicated some time each day to work out. While she’d never been particularly athletic despite having an affinity for close combat, the exercise helped her mental state tremendously. Of course, she’d immediately jumped on the opportunity to work the same magic on her residents, and allotted a portion of their weekly therapy, with fantastic effects; it worked great for their anger management and stress relief. However, her training wasn’t limited to just physical strength. 

Charlie felt far too out of touch with her abilities, a sentiment which had been proven by her struggle during the fight with angels. Unable to bring herself to fight against anyone for fear of hurting them, she instead honed her ability through maintaining some floating fire orbs around her throughout the day. Their presence felt oddly comforting; an assurance that she wasn’t totally helpless. She had to be the one to protect the hotel, after all.

Alastor, for his part, continued as usual by consulting with her over hotel matters and managing their finances. He seemed endlessly entertained by her desire to be stronger and her view of him as a sort of goal and rival to match in terms of power; a factor which only pushed Charlie to work harder. He played a key role in the running of the hotel now, but Charlie dreamed of a time where he’d respect her power enough to desire to redeem himself too. 

Whimsical fantasies and Alastor aside, the only real downside to her packed schedule was significantly less time with Vaggie. Her significant other still felt extremely anxious after nearly losing her in the fight with angels, a concern only amplified when she noticed the odd intensity between Charlie and Alastor.

“You can’t beat him, hon. He’s not someone to view as competition - he  _ slaughtered _ thousands of demons when he came here! He could do the same to any of us, to you!”

Charlie let out a huff, pouting at the way Vaggie scolded her like a child.

“I’m not trying to beat him, Vaggie! I just want to be stronger so I don’t have to depend on him anymore. That way, even if he  _did_ try to kill us, I could protect everyone! I don’t think he’d do that anyways...Alastor might not be the most dependable demon but you heard what he said when he introduced himself; he would’ve had us all dead if he really wanted to!”

Vaggie crossed her arms defensively.

“That doesn’t mean you have to do this all alone! I can fight too! And I know you want the best for everyone Charlie, but not everyone is worth saving or  _ wants  _ to be saved.”

Charlie shook her head.

“Not when it comes to Divine Power, Vaggie. I only managed it because of the power from my royal lineage.” A half-truth, given Charlie didn’t want to reveal that she’d used Divine Power herself. “And everyone’s worth saving to me. If they don’t want to then...then okay, but I should still give them the option to.”

The two fell into a tense silence. Charlie sighed and placed a comforting and sturdy hand on the moth demon’s shoulder.

“I...know I’m being unfair to you right now...I’m not spending enough time with you after everything that happened. But...I have to do this, Vaggie. For everyone. I have to get stronger because otherwise everything here might end up gone the next time something like this happens. You aren’t the only one scared, Vaggie. I am too. I was so sure you were all going to die back then. That’s why I have to do this. I refuse to lose everyone.”

Vaggie wavered at the unshed tears behind Charlie’s eyes, genuine fear mingling with determination. Letting out a heavy sigh, she brought Charlie into a hug. She knew arguing further was pointless; Charlie was extremely stubborn once she set her eyes on something. Swallowing the uneasiness still in her heart, Vaggie hid her hesitance with a small smile.

“Alright, hon. I believe in you.”

Charlie beamed gratefully before slipping away to continue working out.

  
Watching her walk away, Vaggie rubbed her arms together, the room feeling much colder without Charlie’s presence. She felt alone and she was terrified of it. But...that didn’t give her the right to stop Charlie from improving herself, right? Charlie had said it herself; she was doing this to protect everyone. To protect Vaggie. So why is it that she couldn’t stop the selfish desire to have her all to herself like before?

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! thank you all so much for the 50+ kudos and over 950 hits!! I can't believe we're almost at 1k haha 
> 
> as you guys may have noticed, this chapter is pretty short (722 words to be exact) so ill be posting the next chapter tomorrow!
> 
> seeing that we're nearing 1k hits, i'm also thinking of doing something for you guys to give back for all of your support! Maybe picking one of you guys and writing a story of your choice/your prompt. if you'd be interested in that type of thing at all, please let me know and include what you'd want me to write for you! if not, I'll just post a chapter early for you guys to enjoy. c: 
> 
> thanks for your support and seeya tomorrow with the next chapter!


	9. Blood Moon Battleground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello! please note that this chapter contains descriptions of mild gore/violence!

Moonlight greeted the inhabitants of Hell at the dawn of yet another day. New demons filtered in through the gates; some lost, some enraged, some delighted. One such demon strolled in among them, a displeased frown on his face. He emanated an oppressing amount of power, causing lesser demons to quickly scurry away from him while onlookers watched on cautiously.

Suddenly, a shadow darted out, ensnaring the demon’s arm and dragging him into a nearby alley. Cursing loudly, the demon fought back viciously, turning to punch his attacker. Except...he was gone. He was no longer in the alley at all, but instead in what appeared to be a grandiose throne room. 

Disoriented and irate, the demon demanded an audience.

“Ah, so you have finally arrived.”

Jolting, the demon spun around, finding himself face to face with another demon in a pristine white suit and a tophat. Though his stature was short, the demon found himself brought to his knees before the other, his rosy cheeks and unnervingly wide smile bringing a sense of both awe and fear. 

  
It was almost as though...he was a _King ._

* * *

Feeling the first gentle caress of wakefulness, Charlie immediately noticed two things.

One, the ground was thrumming, and the constant vibrations seemed to grow stronger and stronger with each passing second. Two, there was an odd sound reminiscent of loud chanting. Sleepily blinking her eyes, Charlie let out a groan and buried her face in her pillow, unwilling to deal with the real world yet. Soft warmth cradled her eager body back to sleep with the promise of sweet dreams and lullabies. 

“Charlie. Charlie! CHARLIE!”

Whipping up at the sound of Vaggie’s scream, Charlie whirled her head around in search of the disturbance, vision still blurry and unfocused from being woken so suddenly. The knocking on her door grew louder and progressively more frantic as she trudged her way over, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes as she came face to face with the moth.

“WE’RE BEING ATTACKED!!”

Spoken with haste, it took Charlie a few seconds to process her words...and then a few more to register what they meant. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“What?”

“There’s a huge mob approaching the hotel and screaming they’re gonna destroy it!”

“WHAT.”

Now fully awake, Charlie quickly rushed out of her room with Vaggie close behind her. A quick scan of the hotel lobby confirmed it to be empty, the residents still asleep given it was an ungodly hour of the night. Mindless of her bare feet, Charlie ran over to the hotel doors and threw them open.

For a moment, all she could hear was the ominous sound of the approaching chanting. At last, her vision adapted and Charlie could make out the flames of dozens upon dozens of torches. Low level demons, she presumed, given none were flying - though they were no less terrifying with the way the light morphed their faces, their shadows elongated into a single and monstrous inky mass.

Their leader, upon noticing her at the doorway, belted out a greeting.

“Charlotte Magne is it? Heard you been causing a lot of trouble tryna’ ‘rehabilitate’ people. HA! Like a pathetic excuse of a demon like you could accomplish something like that!” His lips, just like his body, were an unnatural shade of blue, curling into an ugly grin as the crowd behind him laughed in agreement.

“Well word has it this pretty piece of land is up for grabs so long as we can clear out this hotel…and _everyone_ in it! Royalty pays a _pretty_ penny, so I say it’s high time to take out the trash! Let’s get her, boys!”

With that, the mob charged.

A few things happened in that time. Charlie, initially unnerved and confused, quickly lost her temper with their threat to destroy the hotel and everyone in it. 

“Vaggie, get inside and board up the windows if you can. I don’t want to damage the glass with my fire.”

“What?! I can’t just leave you here -.”

**_“Vaggie.”_ **

She cut the moth demon off, her eyes flaring with anger as she transformed. Vaggie fumbled, a bizarre sense of fear rising up in her, forcing her to comply and rush into the hotel. Mindful of the still sleeping residents and unwilling to involve anyone else in the crossfire, Charlie willed Razzle and Dazzle to encase the sleeping quarters in a soundproof and blast-proof cocoon. 

Satisfied, Charlie faced her attackers once again.

If they wanted to fight, she’d fight fire with _fire._

Mouth brimming with sharp teeth and sclera glowing a glorious vermillion, her eyes darted across the demons in front of her as she summoned a massive fire barrier, strong and furious as it flared brightly in the night. Willing a circle of fire-balls to form, she took aim, letting the projectiles race past her to cause havoc.

Panicked cries arose from the demons in the front lines, the fireballs descending upon them and exploding like haphazard fireworks, decorating the canvas of their skin with burns. Still, the others charged forward, heartless to the plight of their injured and fallen. Sneering in disgust at their lack of sympathy, Charlie summoned forth a fire missile, this time aiming for the middle of the group. Allowing them to reach the barricade, Charlie launched the weapon, a smile creeping its way along her face as she watched it hit. 

The explosion sent off a frenzy of high standing fire, each burst creating another wall to entrap its prey, blinding as the barrier retaliated against the hit and spewed fiery rain. Screams and pained shrieks erupted, torches and fur singed to a crisp, cooking the tender flesh underneath.

Except...Charlie could still feel that oppressing sense of energy. Eyes searching through the haze of smoke and fire, she was rewarded with a terrifying sight.

_‘The Leader...He’s still there?’_

Amber eyes blending in with the fire’s palette, the towering shape of the demon emerged, a smug smile on his face as he lifted away some kind of fire-protection coat. Even more terrifying were the sets of other eyes which soon revealed themselves even as many of their other companions wailed in agony beneath their feet, their bodies acting as fuel until they were reduced to ashes.

_‘ But how?! How could they have known? That explosion should’ve hurt them...killed them slowly enough that it’d take a while to reform…!’_

Heart rapidly pumping in her chest, Charlie swallowed, unwilling to let her fear show on her face. Squinting past the murkiness of the air, her body froze in shock. Under the generous clouds of smoke glinted a familiar gold, white, and red color scheme. The barrel of the gun was shaped like an apple.

_‘T-They’ve got Divine Power-infused weapons!’_

Her mind raced, desperately trying to comprehend what she was seeing despite being overwhelmed with fear and shock. Since birth, she’d been taught that Hell only had a limited number of ways you could truly die. One was at the hands of the angels during the annual Extermination. The next was by extremely high level demons or Overlords, though there were restrictions in place to limit that. The least known one was through weapons with power from the Heavenly Realm. 

Fragments of a treasured childhood memory sprang to mind, a visage of warmth and blond hair coming to mind. Her father had told her how when he first fell from Heaven, one of God’s punishments was the loss of his wings - the angelic ones which held divine power in each feather. But he’d been clever, he told her. He’d torn some off before they all changed, distributing their energy into weapons of his creation while he still held the power to. It was a symbol of revenge against the God that abandoned him; a way to inflict pain even if he no longer could as he was condemned. Combined with the length of his stay in Hell, the weapons served as the reason behind Lucifer’s continued reign. Since creation, the weapons had been under the care and protection of the royal family; a well-hidden secret that could only be accessed once one ascended to the throne. So how, how was it that the demons in front of her possessed it?!

As the remains of the mob came together again, Charlie could only watch in horror. A slave to the sudden power which coursed through them, the demons let their skin melt and drip down in a grotesquely bloody puddle, an adverse reaction by their sins to the pure energy in their guns.

Their leader smiled, his uncannily blue flesh tinted purple by the fires still raging around them. 

_“ Charge .”_

“NO!” 

Loud screaming rang in Charlie’s ears as she watched them approach the barrier like mindless zombies, the fire eating away at their flesh until their muscles and bone were exposed, intestines leaking out of their bodies while they choked. The horrific squelch of each of their bodies colliding into each other imprinted itself in her mind, blood generously staining and flowing along the ground like a polluted river. Her throat hoarse and finally giving out, Charlie choked, unable to handle the disgusting and gorey display in front of her any longer. Bloody tears streaming from her eyes, she ran, slamming the doors shut behind her and willing together a quick locking spell as her barrier disappeared.

“Charlie? What happened? Did you fight them off?” Her body clammy with perspiration, Charlie turned to face Vaggie, the pure fear in her system preventing her from speaking. 

Vaggie’s eye darted between her and the doors, a scream escaping her mouth when something slammed against it.

**“Hiding now, are we girlie?”** The wretched voice of the leader sounded through the door, clear despite the plethora of possessed demons chanting around him.

The angry mob swarmed the hotel like starving lions, tearing at the walls with their claws as if slowly peeling away strips of flesh. Charlie could barely hear Vaggie’s fearful screams of her name beyond the overwhelming rush of blood streaming through her heart and veins. Horrified, she could only tremble as the doors violently shook, demons banging from the outside with foul words and fouler promises, eager for their prey.

_‘I’m not strong enough. Oh god, I’m not strong enough..’_

Tearing at her hair, the words echoed in Charlie’s mind as she stood frozen. Vaggie brought out her harpoon, desperately shaking her by her shoulders to bring her back to the present.

“CHARLIE! Hon, snap out of it! L-Listen, we’ll fight together, it’ll be fine!” Charlie frantically shook her head at Vaggie’s words, tears streaming down her face.

_‘They’re gonna kill us. They’re going to kill you!’_

She felt the exact moment the hasty protection spell she’d set on the door shattered.

_‘I’m still...so **weak.’** _

Vaggie startled as cracks began forming in the center of the wood.

_‘Help.’_

Ear-splitting laughter rose in pitch outside, the mania within the demons rising with each successful crack.

_‘Alastor...someone...help me!’_

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy smokes, we hit 1k and it's only been a day - you guys are awesome! as promised, I'll be sure to upload a chapter early (tomorrow) as a thank you for all your wonderful support! I'd also like to quickly thank both YuYu_Mortis for their comment on Ch8 and IvyNova for their comment on Ch7 - being able to interact with my readers and hear from you guys is one of the most heart-warming feelings. <3
> 
> with that, thank you for reading and tune in tomorrow for the extra chapter!
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated and feed my soul <3


	10. Lunar Tetrad Showdown

Vaggie grabbed her hand and dived behind the reception desk as the doors broke through. Tightly hugging Charlie to her as she fell, Vaggie was spared from seeing the horrendous and disgusting state of the demon’s bodies. Mindlessly they shot, bullets flying past in an endless stream as though they were one deadly laser. Puke covered their chests, bloody and repulsive as their bodies tore themselves apart from the inside, unable to handle the divine power in their weapons. Chanting reduced to choked gargles, their intestines leaked out of the holes formed by unsightly sores on their stomach - dripping out a disgusting combination of pus and bile. Cancerous tumors sprouted along the flesh still remaining on their back, visibly destroying chunks of their body at a time. All that remained of their hands were bones; cracked and brown as the divine power forced them to remain animated. 

In the midst of it all, only their leader seemed unscathed, his eyes squinted in displeasure as he coughed from the repugnant smell of death around him, searching for them.

Charlie gagged silently, her hold tightening around the trembling moth to prevent Vaggie from turning around. Though the darkness and smoke slowed the mob’s trek into the hotel, Charlie knew it was only a matter of time before they were found.

_ ‘ I-Im sorry for being too weak to protect you. To protect everyone.’ _ She thought tearfully, her nails tightly embedded in Vaggie’s back.

_ ‘I want to save everyone.’ _

Between the searing heat, the revolting sound of gurgling and burning flesh and her hurricane of fear and anxiety, Charlie almost didn’t notice the persistent thrumming against her chest. It pulsed with surprising strength, rhythm just slightly off from that of her pounding heart. Slipping one of her hands from Vaggie’s waist, her hand eagerly found the feather. A smile formed on her face.

“It’s okay, Vaggie. You don’t have to be scared anymore.” The airy whisper ghosted across the top of Vaggie’s ear. Teary eyed, the moth drew back and looked at Charlie’s face, noting her uncannily happy smile.

“W-Wha-.” With a small jolt of power to the back of her neck, she was out. Charlie gently eased her off, shuffling off her jacket to place it over her. Clutching the half tainted feather to her chest, she allowed its power to circulate throughout her senses once more and stood.

The mob instantly noticed her, their leader letting out a smug laugh as he aimed his weapon.

“Come out to play, have we?” 

Opening her eyes, time seemed to slow before Charlie as her pupils glowed brightly. She could see the individual muscles in his face as he laughed, her eyes tracing the path of the bullets heading straight for her. To kill her. To kill everyone. 

Allowing her anger to merge with the divine power of the feather, Charlie raised her hands, a wall of pure, blindingly white fire forming. The flames readily consumed the bullets, lashing out as though hungry for more. Vision returning to normal speed now that she was at ease, Charlie broke out into maniacal laughter at the stupefied look on the leader’s face.

**“You b ro ke into my h o me.”**

Recovering from his shock, the pale blue demon growled, aiming the Divine-powered gun once more to shoot at her. Charlie’s fists shook with anger, her mouth twisting into a cruel grimace.

**“Threatene d to k ill m y pe opl e.”**

The fire surged towards the remaining demons, surrounding them in rings which slowly shrank around the sinners inside. Each contraction caused them to let out ungodly screams as their weapons disappeared, the power no longer quelling their pain as they felt the full extent of their bodies being ripped to shred molecule by molecule. Divine energy rippled through the air, the walls of the lobby crumbling under the pressure and set alight, each piece hovering to create a faux image of a falling meteorite.

**“For that, _I’L L TE A R YO U AP ART!”_**

Letting out a ferocious roar, Charlie lost control over the flaming pieces hovering above her and let forth a stream of golden and porcelain fire. They rained down like comets, explosion after explosion going off on the ground below. Disconnected from her senses, Charlie allowed her body to be a vessel to the power flowing through it, deaf to the screams below her and blind to the havoc and the way she annihilated body after body whether dead or alive.

She felt so much...so much  _ power _ and so much _ anger . _

She...couldn’t stop.

Even as the ceiling threatened to cave in above her...even as the fire surrounding her lashed out wildly around her, threatening to scorch Vaggie, threatening to burn down the entire hotel.

_ ‘I should stop. We’ll die if I don’t.’  _ The thought passed through her mind idly, the addictive and unstoppable force of the power steadily overpowering the part of her screaming for help. 

Perhaps the worst part of it all was she couldn’t even bring herself to care, her mouth frozen in a cruel smile.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! here's the bonus early chapter as a thank you for your support in getting this fic to 1k hits! you may notice that this chapter is also pretty short (851 words), which means you'll end up getting yet another chapter tomorrow :b not intentional on my part, just ended up happening that way with the pacing haha 
> 
> thank you for all your kudos and for reading my fic! <3 
> 
> next chapter we'll find out where alastor has once again disappeared off to...


	11. Unpaid Debt

Alastor had never been a heavy sleeper even as a human, the need for being alert and nimble on his feet a learned necessity to avoid his father’s beatings. Once in Hell, this quality carried over, proving itself even more useful as pitiful attempts were made on his life. Oh, how he loved hearing their heart-beat pound away anxiously when he caught them, the blood pumping through their veins beckoning his endless appetite to indulge. How they would erupt into screams, begging for  _ mercy  _ of all things. Downright hilarious!

For this reason, when he suddenly felt a charge of electricity run through him in the early hours of the night, he didn’t hesitate to spring up in bed. He knew this feeling quite well, though it’d been some time since he felt it.

A client had died and it was time to collect his payment.

Reaching out, he swiftly changed into his familiar suit and donned his monocle, straightening out his bowtie before slamming his microphone onto the ground to summon forth a portal. Traveling between realms was an annoyingly tacky process as far as Alastor was concerned. While his trips back and forth since establishing the link were much easier, the differences between the passage of time in the Mortal realm and Hell was ridiculous. It made him think of how woefully robbed of time he was when he was alive - now, he could kill dozens of demons in the time it’d take to murder one human in the mortal realm. Still, he was proud of his achievements and where they’d led him. 

At last, the portal popped open and he exited, stumbling only once before standing up and laughing at the silliness of it all. Making his way over to the encampment, he noticed the lack of guards. Curious, but not necessarily surprising - he’d had his own experiences with lousy employees back in the day. They didn’t live very long. 

Humming a tune to keep himself preoccupied, Alastor stepped past them and stopped in place, eyebrows raising in surprise.

Once crowded and filled with the droning of the orators and the scratching of pencils against paper, the pavilion was now littered with bodies. Men, women, children - the bodies seemed endless, collapsed next to each other in rows. A natural disaster or aerial attack? No, the surroundings were still intact. Gas of some kind? Possible, though the bodies were arranged too neatly for it to be an accident. 

His gaze darting from body to body, Alastor noticed the amalgamation of cups and syringes scattered haphazardly. Eyes glowing with intrigue, he noticed what seemed to be a bucket filled with a thick liquid, odd chunks surrounding its surface. It looked entirely unappetizing, even to someone who had seen the insides of dozens of people while searching for his dinner. His investigation took priority, however, so Alastor accepted his fate and dipped a finger into the mixture, drawing it up to his mouth for a taste. He tasted a disgustingly sweet and artificial fruit flavor and...

_ ‘Oh my! I do believe that’s Cyanide?’ _

Taking out his handkerchief, Alastor cleaned the remains from his finger and willed the disgusting taste away from his tongue. Studying the bodies more closely, he was able to pick out the odd tint of blue they’d taken on courtesy of the cyanide poisoning. A cult suicide, he concluded. None of that information helped him find his client, however. Searching his frequencies, he was unable to find the shortwave radio he previously materialized through, meaning it was likely off. An attempt to delay the inevitable perhaps? He’d pop right through regardless if it were Hell, but his abilities were limited here. Ah well. Making his way upstairs, Alastor took note of more dead bodies, now uniformed - a sign he was getting close. Reaching the end of the corridor, Alastor pulled open the door.

Sure enough there was Tod Valton, slumped over the broadcasting equipment with his own cup of poison. Alastor gave a polite bow, summoning their contract in one hand as he began to speak. 

“Well Mr. Valton, seems like it’s the end of line, and your time to pay my fines! Rise and shine now!~”

Silence.

Alastor’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, his smile growing tight. He’d forgotten what a nuisance mortal souls could be, clinging to life and dreams of heaven when they were merely chained to their bodies until he came to collect their souls. Setting aside his manners, he tapped the body with the end of his microphone, the power flowing through it meant to act as a net to drag souls away from their body.

Only, there was nothing.

_ ‘Well then.’ _

There were two possible explanations: Another demon had arrived before him and taken it, or silly, pitiful, foolish Mr. Valton had used the power he’d undoubtedly accumulated from all the camp deaths to break out and go straight to Hell. Alastor immediately ruled out the first; he would’ve felt another demon’s energy, and he’d meticulously picked this location exactly because it insured secrecy.

With a cruel chuckle, Alastor flicked his finger, causing the body to hover in front of him.

“A runner I see, Mr. Volton! Lucky for you, I  _**love** _ a good chase before my next meal. Don’t expect any mercy when you’re caught.  **Cowardly vermin like you don’t deserve it.** ”

Swiping his claws through the cold and blue-tinted flesh, Alastor materialized away as the body was spliced apart, blood and organs staining the once pristine office.

* * *

After returning to Hell, Alastor immediately materialized himself at the gates. New arrivals steadily swarmed in, though none carried the energy signature of the one he sought. Closing his eyes, Alastor changed to his shadow form, seeking the closest match to his client. Filtering through took a while due to the constant assault of new demons, but eventually he found the right scent.

Following it like a hound dog, Alastor found himself in a cornered off alley. The surroundings were filthy, the smell of garbage almost strong enough to break his concentration and make him abandon his hunt entirely. Though no other trail seemed to lead here, it was clear by the claw prints on some of the trash bags that there’d been some fighting going on recently. Such an abrupt cut off would have been peculiar, had Alastor not already suspected foul play. 

Stepping out of the alley, he glanced through the hordes of miserable sinners for a possible witness. Half hidden in the shadows, his attention was brought to a homeless demon who seemed to be entirely an eye, apart from his limbs. Alastor approached him, the demon watching him wordlessly. 

“Greetings my good fellow! You seem to be a regular who’d be well acquainted with events in this area. Did you perhaps see anything suspicious by that alley over there?” 

The demon looked at him unblinkingly, eyes narrowed.

Internally rolling his eyes, Alastor allowed a bag of coins to materialize in his hand, continuing to smile at the demon. Unable to speak, the eye blinked out his message with morse code - which luckily for him, Alastor could read. 

Giving a polite bow in gratitude like the gentleman he was, Alastor dropped the bag of coins into the demon’s greedy hands. Mulling over what he’d been told, Alastor’s teeth grinded together with ire. 

In Hell, demons didn’t care for following rules of any kind, let alone upholding manners. However, higher level demons such as royalty and overlords upheld their own polite pleasantries for the sake of business. It was not uncommon for them to recruit, employ or murder any demons of noteworthy power upon their arrival to hell to maintain the population and distribution of power. 

This was not  _ some  _ demon, however. He was bound by contract to Alastor, and Lucifer had interfered. A breach of the rules by the King who made them. Hilarious. 

Fury hastening his movements, Alastor and his shadow minions flew over Hell in search of his runaway prey. Tracing the scent up to a familiar part of the city, a bright glow and the sound of explosions caught his attention. Alastor furrowed his brows, his hawk-like vision tracing the path of his client to be in the same direction. A sudden realization struck him. 

_ ‘The Hotel.’ _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for being patient with the update, everyone! this chapter was late compared to when I normally post them but this won't interfere w/the update schedule I've established c:
> 
> a couple things of note are going on in this chapter; 
> 
> 1.) Tod Valton, the client we watched alastor make a deal with earlier, has mysteriously disappeared after his death and been traced to the hotel...now what?
> 
> 2.) A bit of background on Valton. As some of you may have guessed by reading through the chapter, I actually based Valton and his 'cult' off of Jonestown, while changing around select details and the name so as to avoid insensitivity towards the actual event. If you're unaware of what I'm talking about, I fully encourage you to go read about the case, though please be aware that it's fairly horrific. I want to mention this to you guys because this is going to be the case for at least one of the other villains Charlie faces off against - they're going to be based off of a real life case! 
> 
> 3.) A personal theory which I'm unsure if is cannon or not is that alastor's cane/microphone doubles as both a way to direct his power/as a radio and also functions as a sort of vacuum which he uses to suck up his souls, and the voices that you hear whenever his radio audience laughs or reacts along are those of his victims! I could be totally wrong of course but at least for this fic that's an in-universe mechanic :b 
> 
> thanks for reading! c:


	12. A Spark of Interest And A Painful Realization

For a moment, Alastor thought he went blind. 

Glaring white fire spewed from the doors of the hotel, threatening to consume him. Quickly materializing himself at a vantage point from one of the nearby ruins, he caught a glimpse of the inside of the hotel lobby. Or, what was left of it rather. Massive chunks of the wall were broken off, embedded into the floor and burning vigorously, almost as though they’d been slammed down. His eyes hurt from the odd energy the fire seemed to emanate, though he couldn’t tell why.

Movement caught his eye. Against the barren remains of the hotel lobby, a figure appeared from underneath a chunk of the floor, a gun held against his chest. 

_ ‘Tod Valton.’ _

Preparing to descend upon the figure scrambling away, Alastor was intercepted by another burst of wild energy, though significantly smaller than the last. At first, he thought Charlie had also seen the escapee and undershot in her attempt to end his miserable existence. The following bursts made it clear that wasn’t the case, each blast being shot in random directions. Making a split second decision, Alastor abandoned his runaway client and focused on trying to break Charlie out of whatever stupor she’d entered. 

As entertaining as it would’ve been to see Charlie obliterate the hotel and everyone in it, he needed her alive to eventually get back at Lucifer. Not to mention he’d lose two extremely valuable staff in the process if this went on. 

He waited, anticipation building in his veins. Finally, there was a pause between the bursts of energy.

Taking the opportunity, Alastor charged, his grin wide with excitement as he dodged the rapidfire blasts coming his way. Finally close enough, he allowed himself to materialize behind her, ignoring the unpleasant heat against his skin from her power. 

* * *

The sudden feeling of foreign arms wrapping tightly around her waist dragged Charlie away from the thoughtless void she’d been drifting in.

_ “It’s time to wake up, darling.~” _

Honeyed words called to her, sweet and welcoming as her senses finally returned. She choked on air, leaning back against the comforting weight as she caught her breath. Remnants of the Divine Power thrummed beneath her fingertips, though she paid it no mind, her body exhausted.

Her true demonic form disappeared as she felt herself teleport, the shoes of the demon holding her clacking against the ground. Nausea welled up in her stomach and she turned her face into the warmth against her, letting out a small groan.

“Comfortable, are we?”

Alastor’s teasing voice caused her to open her eyes, staring up at the Radio Demon holding her. Magenta pupils returned her stare with amusement and an odd mixture of impressed curiosity. A faint blush decorated her face at the intensity of his gaze, her fists tightening their hold on his suit. 

Allowing his eyes to roam over their surroundings, Alastor’s hold tightened around the princess in his arms. To think she was capable of such power… He’d wondered about the extent of her abilities since seeing her entertaining fight with the news anchor. Despite being the princess of Hell, Charlie was vehemently against using violence where it wasn’t ‘necessary’ - a tragic mindset, really. So seeing her go all out had been…

Unexpected. 

Exciting.

His eyes returned to her, noting how her chest heaved against his own. She looked exhausted, hair splayed out here and there as she greedily sucked in a breath.

She...had  _ potential . _

The sound of a nearby groan snapped them out of their revelry. 

“Vaggie!”

Charlie’s eyes widened in concern, struggling and failing to stand up on her own. Letting out a gentle noise of disapproval, Alastor steadied her against his chest.

“No need to be hasty, my dear.”

“But Vaggie-.”

“Is alright, I assure you. The blasts only destroyed your jacket, and due to its fireproof properties, she’s unharmed.” His tone was firm and unyielding. Charlie reluctantly accepted defeat, only then noticing their close proximity. 

“C-Can you help me stand at least?”

Complying with her request, Alastor offered her his arm as she stood on shaky feet. A nagging sensation in her head tugged at her, and Charlie let out a gasp, remembering Razzle and Dazzle. Looking up at the top of the stairs, she came face to face with the awed faces of her residents behind the safety barrier she’d set. Willing the goats down to check on Vaggie, the barrier broke, the residents free to come down.

A few brave souls ventured down, including Angel Dust. He looked between Charlie, Alastor, Vaggie’s unconscious body behind the reception desk and the remains of what was once the hotel lobby.

“Lover’s quarrel?” Charlie’s face flamed red with embarrassment and indignation.

“ _ Angel _ _!_ I thought you guys were asleep...y-you weren’t supposed to see that…”

Angel looked at her in bewilderment.

“You’re jokin’ right? The entire fuckin’ building was shakin’! That fight was some of the most epic shit I’ve ever seen!”

Caught off guard by his praise, Charlie shrank into herself. She was unsure if it was warranted given how she’d lost control and nearly destroyed the entire front of the hotel in the process. Behind Angel, she saw Husk raising his brow at the remains of the bar, searching for a still intact drink. Niffty meanwhile seemed to burst with excitement at the mess she’d have to clean, eagerly waving her hand at Charlie.

Returning the wave, Charlie let go of Alastor’s arm and slowly made her way over to Vaggie.

Blinking away the haze and confusion surrounding her head, Vaggie’s eye widened with horror upon seeing the destruction before her.

“Mierda! What the hell happened?!”

Charlie smiled nervously, unsure where to begin. Relieved that Charlie seemed to be in one piece, Vaggie’s eye darted around to meet Alastor’s. He tilted his head innocently, smiling. Between Charlie’s nervous expression and Alastor’s arrogant smirk, she began to suspect the Radio Demon was the cause of this mess. Growl rising in her throat, she stormed past Charlie, charging up to him.

“You did this, didn’t you?!”

Alastor laughed, amused by the endless amount of anger the moth demon seemed to possess.

“On the contrary! Our dear Charlotte here fought off those pesky intruders. And what a battle it was! Why, she was simply  _ radiant  _ as she vaporized their bodies! I merely helped calm her down.”

Vaggie’s eye twitched, the desire to stab Alastor’s shit-eating grin right off his face increasing with each word he spoke. The way his eyes sparkled when he’d complimented Charle’s supposed kills rubbed her the wrong way and his admission to ‘helping her calm down’ only increased her suspicion that he was scheming something. 

Turning to face Charlie to confirm Alastor’s words, Vaggie was given her answer through Charlie’s apologetic grin.

“S-Sorry Vaggie...this happened because I lost control...I don’t know what would’ve happened if Alastor didn’t stop me…”

Heart clenching at the shame and dismay in Charlie’s eyes, Vaggie immediately softened her tone to reassure her.

“It’s alright, hon. You did it to protect everyone. I just wish you had let me fight beside you.”

Despite her attempt at reassurance, the princess’s eyes dimmed with her words.

“You...couldn’t have. They would’ve killed you.” The resigned tone of her typically giddy voice struck Vaggie like a shard of glass, sinking beneath her skin.

“All of you.” Charlie’s eyes flitted to Alastor then, his ears twitching with curiosity at her somber conviction.

Clearing her throat to dispel the sudden tension and bring Charlie’s attention back to her, Vaggie changed the topic to an issue which they’d neglected.

“So...how are we going to repair this place? How long will it take?”

“Not to worry, my dear Vagatha! Nifty and I can whip this place back up in a jiffy, no matter how past redemption it is! HA!” Alastor’s irritating voice interrupted Charlie as she opened her mouth to speak, his radio audience laughing and clapping along in delight.

“Why you-!”

“STOP!”

Seconds away from bickering, the two demons turned to Charlie in surprise. Flustering from her loud exclamation, Charlie cleared her throat and spoke more softly.

“Thank you, Alastor...but...I made this mess myself, so I should be the one to clean it up. It was nice of you to help me before, but you said it yourself...I can’t depend on you.”

While internally pleased that she’d taken his words to heart to this extent, the gentleman in Alastor commanded him to play devil’s advocate. And to cut off whatever ridiculous protest was about to spew from Vaggie’s mouth.

“Hon,-.”

“Are you sure, Charlie? You seemed quite exhausted and frail after your fight.” He could feel the prickling glare from the moth, causing his smile to widen even as he kept his attention fixed on Charlie.

“No, it’s alright...I still have enough power to...fix this.”

Fiery determination burned in Charlie’s eyes as she slowly made her way to the front of the hotel. 

“Pedazo de mierda, what the fuck are you playing at?! What happened to your ‘gentlemanly’ manners, huh? Por dios, she could’ve died out there, and now you’re encouraging her to exhaust herself more?!”

Alastor idly picked at his claws, his attention focused on Charlie.

“She could’ve, but she didn’t. And it was her choice. Don’t you respect that, Vagatha?”

Anger mounting at his patronizing laughter, Vaggie grabbed her harpoon and pointed its sharp tip at Alastor. The Radio Demon raised his brow, daring her to try and stab him. Vaggie’s body trembled with rage.

“Vete a la mierda! Don’t you dare use my name! This has nothing to do with choice, and everything with her wellbeing, you insensitive prick!”

Alastor remained thoroughly unimpressed as he lowered the tip of her harpoon with his thumb, his eyes regarding her with a dismissive manner. 

“You, my dear, seem hilariously confused. You find comfort in staying by her side, in basing your worth on ‘protecting’ her. Perhaps because she is the first to treat you with kindness.”

Lowering the harpoon further, Vaggie snarled as he snapped it in half like a mere stick.

“You fail to see that you limit her. That she’s grown only when she’s ignored your pitiful attempts to maintain control. She’s grown, changed, though not in the way you like it.”

Her hand drawing back to stab the demon in front of her -consequences be damned- Vaggie suddenly found herself immobilized. Alastor grasped her face with his hand, his sharp claws drawing blood as they dug into her face. 

_ “Watch.” _ He commanded, and Vaggie was forced to obey.

Hands held out in front of her, Charlie allowed the energy from her fingertips to gather into a modest white fireball. Casting it down against the ground, the fire quickly spread, surrounding the numerous chunks of the wall, no matter how big or small. Panting with exertion already, Charlie closed her eyes and raised her fingers in an upward motion. Keeping her focus on the mental picture she had of the hotel, she allowed the power to lift and replace each chunk into its correct slot, almost as if she were building a giant jigsaw puzzle. Piece after piece, shard after shard followed her command, ‘healing’ the cracks and bruises of the building until it was whole once more. Charlie’s vision blurred, the sound of ringing progressively becoming louder and louder as the Divine power left her completely. Exhausted but happy, she fell to her knees, consciousness finally failing.

Seeing her collapse, Vaggie struggled in Alastor’s hold. 

“She will outgrow you. You cannot stop her.” The  _ I won’t let you  _ went unspoken as he finally released the moth and disappeared. Disorientated by the sudden ability to move her limbs again, Vaggie wiped away the thin trails of blood streaking down her chin.

More so than when they’d been under attack, she felt terrified. Terrified of the truth lurking behind Alastor’s words, terrified of how  _helpless_ he made her feel, and at the thought of losing Charlie to  _ him. _

A demon who only acted on his selfish whims without care for anyone couldn’t win. Charlie...needed support. She thrived off of it, and Vaggie provided it. 

No, no matter what Alastor said, that part of Charlie would remain the same. And she’d repeat that mantra until the fear in her heart screaming otherwise was silenced. 

Meanwhile, Alastor appeared in front of Charlie’s slumped body. Bending down, he gently shifted her to lay in his arms so he could carry her. 

“Rest well, my dear. You’ve impressed me, caught me off-guard yet again.” He chuckled, quieting when she shifted closer against him.

“But I am a man of high standards, and my faithful attention can’t be given without a price.” 

Smoothing her hair away from her face, he stood, holding her close as he walked back inside.

“Come morning, I shall present you with a test.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> looks like things are spicing up, everyone! our dear charlie has finally caught alastor's interest for good, but boy if he doesn't hold a tough bargain when it comes to who he keeps by his side...
> 
> tune in next time to find out what alastor's proposal is...
> 
> thank you all so much for the 70+ kudos and over 1.3k hits!! knowing people are reading through my work and enjoying it is such an amazing feeling haha <3 ill seeya next week for the next chapter! c:
> 
> comments & kudos are appreciated & feed my soul <3


	13. A Cunningly Sweet Proposal

Letting out a pitiful groan, Charlie woke up with a nausea inducing headache. Feeling bile rise up in her throat, she rushed to the bathroom connected to her room. After dry heaving for several moments, Charlie sat back, the coldness of the floor seeping into her bones and causing her to shiver. What happened? She remembered fragments of the fight and the feeling of drifting in an endless void, only breaking free when Alastor’s warm arms had wrapped around her and returned her to the present.

Her headache worsened, and she let out another groan. Trying to remember any further details about the fight only seemed to agitate the dull throbbing in her skull, so her thoughts turned to Alastor’s unexpectedly kind actions.

Well, maybe calling them kind was a bit much given he never did things without a reason, but Charlie was grateful either way. That being said, she couldn’t help the spark of self-hatred which welled up. Despite all her training, despite all the time she spent practicing her abilities, it hadn’t been enough...she had had to break her own promise and use the accursed Divine Power of the feather, and even  _ then _ she’d completely lost control. Satan knows what would’ve happened if Alastor hadn’t stopped her - she’d probably have destroyed the entire hotel! Shivering at the unpleasant thought, Charlie forced herself to stand and freshen up to quell the disgusting after-taste of the bile. Washing away the buildup of grime on her body, Charlie’s thoughts grew troubled.

Back then, letting the power of the feather run through her, she’d lost herself; become reduced to a helpless addict to the purity it bestowed on her. Her anger had undoubtedly played a part as well, overtaking any other thought or sense of precaution she’d had. Was...was that what the angels felt when they came for their annual Purge? Had she been wrong to fight back?

Gargling the water in her mouth, Charlie’s doubts only grew. Could there have been a better solution? Could...could she have prevented it all if she’d used peaceful measures instead? She’d always been firmly against using violence, so what exactly had changed?

Before she could dwell any further, her thoughts were interrupted by polite knocking at her door. Securing the towel around her waist, Charlie called out, her hands busy towling her hair dry. 

“Come in!”

The door opened to show Alastor, his typical wide smile in place as he searched around the room. At last, he noticed her. His eyes widened in momentary shock before he quickly whirled in the other direction. 

“Pardon the intrusion, my dear! I was unaware you weren’t decent yet.” 

Giggling at his antics, Charlie combed her fingers through her hair, wincing as it snagged. 

“No worries! Everything’s covered by the towel so you can turn around if you’d like.” 

Alastor shook his head, the gentlemen in him spewing firm protests that would’ve made his mother proud.

“No, no, it’d be terribly impolite. I do wish to discuss something with you, however. You’ll find me on the balcony when you’re ready.”

With that, he swiftly exited the room, leaving Charlie to finish up in peace. Amusement tingled in the corner of her cheeks. There was something oddly endearing about Alastor’s conservative habits - something he’d undoubtedly carried over from his times in the mortal world. 

Shaking away the fond smile threatening to form on her face, Charlie turned her attention to finishing up. She was quite curious as to what he had to say.

* * *

Making her way through the familiar halls, Charlie followed the warm breeze drifting in until she’d reached the balcony. Alastor was leaning against the railing in silence, the only indication he’d noticed her arrival being the twitch of his ears. 

She nervously twisted her hair, unpleasant memories from the last time they’d talked on the balcony surfacing. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Charlie stepped forward to join him. 

“Hey, I’m here. What did you wanna talk about?” 

His smile widened even as he continued to face forward, feigning nonchalance. Ensuring Charlie felt comfortable was vital for his delivery. 

“Your well-being, my dear. How are you? You seemed quite exhausted by the battle and the reparations.“

Surprised by his concern, the tension in Charlie’s stomach loosened a little. 

“Oh uh, I’m okay, don’t worry! It was really draining then, but I feel much better now.”

Alastor chuckled. 

“I’d certainly hope so. You were out for quite some time afterwards.” 

Charlie nodded in agreement, the feeling of complete exhaustion still fresh in her memories. That and the graveyard of ruin she’d been confronted with once she regained her awareness. 

“Thank you, Alastor.” 

Briefly glancing in her direction, the Radio Demon continued to face the remains of the Purge. 

“Whatever for?”

“Well...for stopping me back there. I was really weak...and then I lost complete control. The hotel would’ve been destroyed by now if it wasn’t for you.” 

“You’re quite welcome! Though you were hardly weak, Charlie. I dare say you gave quite the entertaining show when you were fighting them off!”

A small smile broke out across Charlie’s face at the enthusiasm in his words. 

“I guess so…but I’m not sure I can keep fighting these attacks off. I’m still too weak despite my training.” 

Her mind drifted to the feather resting in her inner pocket, now completely inky black. The power thrumming within it was extremely faint, and Charlie didn’t want to risk using the unstable energy source after her last fight. 

“Well, there is a strategy to combat that would ensure your victory each time. Why, even the Greeks based the Trojan Horse off of this concept!” 

Interest successfully piqued, Charlie looked at him with undivided attention. 

“What is it?” 

Alastor grinned widely. 

“Catching them off-guard, of course! Whether out-numbered or out-powered, catching them off-guard and striking first is vital for tilting the battle in your favor.”

Charlie pondered his words.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. It’s kind of hard to catch any threat off-guard when you don’t know about them though.” 

Sliding closer, Alastor placed his hand on Charlie’s back.

“Precisely! Which is why you seek them out first.”

Charlie’s eyes flitted between his wide smile and the claws resting on her shoulder. A sense of caution crept into her tone. 

“What are you getting at, Alastor?”

Removing his claws, Alastor gestured animatedly as he emphasized his point. 

“Think about it, my dear! If you strike first,  _kill_ them first, they can’t possibly threaten you.” 

Charlie instantly frowned. 

“I guess, but I don’t support the use of violence...unless it’s for self-defense. There could still be a way to peacefully negotiate with them which you’d never know about if you preemptively cut them down. Also, that still doesn’t solve how you’d identify them as a ‘threat’ to begin with until they attack.”

Alastor let out a sigh, throwing his hands up dramatically as he feigned reluctant acceptance. She was a smart one, he’d give her that, but she was by no means immune to his…  _ gentle persuasion. _

  
  


“Ah, I suppose you’re right…” He turned his back to the railing and woefully shook his head. 

“Although…”

Charlie glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

“Would you say the same if I told you the leader of that mob survived?”

Choking on air, Charlie turned to face him fully, her expression full of disbelief and bewilderment.

“What?...No way...I-I took out everyone back there; I destroyed the hotel! There’s no way he could’ve escaped the blast…”

“Ah, you underestimate him, my dear. He took his opportunity to escape when you lost control. I suspect his weapon or abilities may have played a part as well, though I have yet to confirm those. I do, however, know where he is.”

Gripping her hair in agitation, Charlie began pacing, struggling to accept the reality of what he’d told her. Alastor watched on in silence, amused as always.

“Well...well, he’s not necessarily a threat anymore?” Her voice pitched up in a squeak, the words coming out more like a question than the confident statement she had aimed for. “He saw the scope of my power, so it’s unlikely he’d try again and…”

“And?” His voice had a teasing lilt, finding her pathetic attempt at logic hilarious.

Charlie’s mind wandered to the Divine weapon. While the fact that the leader had somehow come in possession of the weapon was terrifying, there’d been no abnormal reports of mass killing sprees since. She reasoned that was likely due to the damage it caused to the demon holding it; no matter how powerful, no sinner could escape its wrath if they continued to wield a weapon with Holy Power. That, and her father was sure to notice its absence and bring a

swift end to the demon’s life without her ever having to be involved. Her resolve strengthened, Charlie continued her thought with renewed confidence.

“And I think he might’ve stolen that weapon from-” She paused for a moment, unwilling to divulge the royal secret. Noticing Alastor’s intrigue, she played it off as confusion and continued. “-From one of the palace guards I believe? The design kind of looks similar. Anyway, I’m sure Dad wouldn’t stand by and let him have a weapon like that, so there’s no reason to interfere.”

Tickled with delight, Alastor let out uproarious laughter at her naivety. Charlie looked at him in confusion, mildly offended by his outburst.

“HAhaha, pardon my manners, Charlie! It’s just you’d be quite heartbroken to know that your  _ dear _ father was the one to hire him! In fact, your father promised him the deed to this land and property in exchange for his success!”

“...Alastor...what? W-what are you saying, there’s no way he would-!”

Alastor interrupted her sputtering, his words like puppet-strings made from a silken web.

“Ah, but in fact he  _ did _ . You see, I noticed our little fellow making his escape and tracked him down! Lo’ and behold my surprise when I noticed the trace of the King’s energy signature mingling with that of this new arrival! It’s practically unheard of for the King himself to scout out a new demon without some underhanded intention at play, after all.”

The claws she had fisted in her hair tightened, denial and turmoil lathering onto each other and building in her heart. She...she desperately didn’t want to believe him, to believe that her father, though always disapproving of her idea for rehabilitation, would stoop so far. Nevermind that it explained how the demon had obtained the Divine Weapon without being immediately smited - this was coming from Alastor! He was the Radio Demon, scheming and unreliable; there was no reason to trust his words!

“N-no, there’s no way...there’s no way that’s true! You’re...you’re just playing with me, aren’t you?!”

Sensing her mounting anger, Alastor put up his hands in a nonchalant gesture. Her irrational reaction was undeniably entertaining, but he needed her calm for his plan to work.

“I wouldn’t dare, my dear! It’s a family matter, after all, and I’m hardly the type to make light of these things for the sake of it.”

Detecting the trace of honesty in his words, Charlie retracted into herself.

“S-sorry Alastor...I just...I can’t believe he’d really do that, you know?”

Alastor hummed in acknowledgement, adopting a morose expression on his face.

“I can only imagine how upset you must be. To think a father could  _ detest _ his own daughter so much. To think he’d want to  _ ruin _ everything you worked for. That he’d find you of such _ little value _ that he’d scheme an elaborate set-up to lead the angels right to your door, careless -perhaps even  _ hoping _ \- that you’d die.”

Each word seemed to stab a fresh cut into Charlie’s skin, the betrayal coursing deep in her blood. Caught up in the pain, it took her a few moments to process the second part of what he said. She gasped, horror stricken.

“No…!”

Hungrily eating up her despair, Alastor nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

“I’m afraid it’s true, my dear. He created a portal right at the gates and used your effeminate friend as bait to lead the angels here. You of all people know how ruthless Lucifer can be. He is anything but merciful when it comes to something which he disagrees with. Even you, as his daughter, are no exception to his cruel and condescending actions.”

Noticing the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, Alastor brought Charlie into an embrace, gently stroking her hair as she cried into his chest.

“I-I’m-” A watery hiccup interrupted her attempt to apologize. “I-I’m so s-sorry for-.”

Hushing her gently, Alastor tightened his hold and felt Charlie squeeze him back in silent gratitude. 

“It’s quite alright, sweetheart. You’re understandably overwhelmed and have every right to be upset.”

Tilting his head down so his breath would ghost over her flushed ears, he continued in a whisper.

“You can’t let him win, Charlie. This is why I tried to help you and push you towards taking the initiative yourself...I know how you feel about violence, but you must understand; in Hell, you cannot progress without it.”

Drawing back to comfortingly hold her face, he was struck by how tightly she clung to him, as though he was the only anchor keeping her from being swept away in a storm. Keeping his other arm around her in reassurance, he tilted her chin until her doe like eyes were staring up into his. 

“The demons in this world...they don’t respect you...will  _ never  _ respect you, unless you fill them with fear. It’s the only way you can make a voice for yourself, Charlie. The only way you can give yourself a podium so people will listen to you, so the sinners who want to seek redemption can find you and have the assurance of knowing you’re willing to do  _ anything  _ to ensure their safety, so they can truly achieve their goals.”

Eyes smouldering, Alastor leaned in closer. Charlie’s eyelashes fluttered from his proximity as the warm tears continued to trek their way down her face.

“Do you understand, sweetheart? You  _ have _ to kill him. Have to take out the threats before they hurt you, before they hurt the  _hotel_ and  _ everyone _ in it. You cannot afford to be weak and wait for them to attack - you’ve already experienced the consequences of that first-hand.”

Charlie slowly nodded her head, hazy from his close proximity and the hurricane of emotions inside. Her hand clutched the one he held her face with, small fingers threading with his own in search of comfort. Alastor’s smile softened, pleased with her admission. He leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

“I’m glad you understand, my charming demon belle. You’ve done well. After all, what’s the life of one compared to getting your message out to thousands? Isn’t that what you want, Charlie? To redeem others?”

Melting into his intoxicating touch, Charlie nodded again, dazed from his honey-sweet words and the phantom of his lips pressing into her warm skin. Silence ensued, one lost in their thoughts and the other deviously patient.

A cold breeze interrupted their bubble of intimacy and Charlie shivered, only in her white shirt and suspenders since her suit jacket had been destroyed in the fight. Noticing her discomfort, Alastor shed his own and draped it across her shoulders.

Charlie muttered a quick thanks, wrapping the overcoat around herself more tightly to take in the remnants of Alastor’s warmth. Despite his kind gestures and the points he’d made, Alastor’s suggestion involved going against the morals she’d held for a long time, and Charlie was unsure she truly wanted to or was capable of going through with the idea. With the Divine Power, it’d been different - she’d been so overwhelmed by its addictiveness that killing had come naturally, emotionlessly. Now all she had was herself and a keen awareness for each action she’d be taking to end the demon’s life. Determined, Charlie met Alastor’s gaze once more. He may have successfully distracted her in the moment with his touches, but Charlie was no fool to make her choice without considering the consequences. 

“I’ll...think about it. It might be effective, but it goes against a lot of the beliefs I’ve vouched for for a long time. And while you’re right that many demons won’t listen to me or respect my beliefs without violence and fear, Vaggie does. There’s bound to be more like her.”

Alastor let out a sigh. While the stalemate they’d reached was disappointing, he respected Charlie’s decision to mull over his proposal more. Ultimately he’d still find use for her even if she rejected the idea, though it wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. 

Taking his silence as understanding, Charlie went to return his suit. Alastor shook his head, smiling.

“It’s alright. You may return it to me once you’ve made your decision.”

Charlie nodded her head in gratitude and returned inside.

Left to his own musings, Alastor wondered what her choice would be. In the past, he would’ve scoffed disbelievingly at the idea of the happy-go-lucky princess killing anyone. Now, she proved to be delightfully unpredictable even as her love for the hotel remained constant. 

Letting out a chuckle, Alastor turned his attention to the night sky. While her company was enjoyable, he’d still overthrow the King one way or another with or without her. It was simply who he was. He never failed to get what he wanted.   
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello and welcome back to a new chapter everyone! thank you for your patience haha 
> 
> if you thought alastor was manipulative last chapter, boy howdy did he knock your socks off with it this time. ensnaring charlie with honey sweet words mingled in with a bit of truth...is it any wonder he's got her so flustered and confused? who knows what may happen...
> 
> massive thank you to everyone for over 1.5K hits, 80 kudos and to Yuyu_Mortis for their comment on my last chapter - it cracked me up so hard! your support as usual is AMAZING and I can't thank you all enough! <3 seeya next week for the next chapter!
> 
> comments & kudos are appreciated and feed my soul <3


	14. Conflicting Desires

Walking back to her room with Alastor’s suit still draped over her, Charlie was lost in her thoughts.

“Charlie!”

Turning to the source of the voice, Charlie noticed Vaggie with an anxious expression on her face.

“Hey Vaggie! I’m glad to see you’re okay. I was really worried my jacket didn’t take all the blasts from the fight and you got hurt.”

Seeing the princess’s genuine concern warmed Vaggie’s heart, though she was still upset.

“I’m glad to see you too, hon. I just wish you’d let me fight with you back then instead of knocking me out.”

Charlie immediately shook her head in protest.

“You couldn’t have, Vaggie.”

The princess’s desolate tone struck the final chord within the moth. Countless hours worth of stress finally boiling over, Vaggie exploded in a fit of anger. 

“What do you mean, I couldn’t have?! Charlie, I may not be an Overlord or have Alastor’s strength, but I’m not weak! I could understand it with the angels, but these are just other demons for Hell’s sake! Who’s going to protect you if something goes wrong?  _ Alastor _ _?_ The selfish and ruthless Radio Demon who only shows up at the end to play the hero?!”

  
“I’m not underestimating you, Vaggie! But I  _ know _ you would’ve died back there; everyone would have!”

Vaggie grit her teeth, her ire rising.

“What makes you so confident, huh?!”

Charlie faltered.

“That’s...a secret. I can’t tell you…”

Vaggie looked at her in disbelief.

“You...can’t tell me? Are you serious right now?! Charlie, I thought we wouldn’t keep secrets between us; you’ve always told me everything!”

“Not everything! It’s a family secret, Vaggie, I’m forbidden!”

The moth fumed, her eyes turning to the jacket around her shoulders.

“Oh, and I suppose Alastor is suddenly part of that family?”

Confusion marred Charlie’s face as she followed Vaggie’s gaze.

“What? No! I was just outside talking with him and got cold, so he gave me his jacket!”

“Oh yeah? What were you two talking about then?”

Charlie opened her mouth to respond before pausing. Her brow furrowed.

“That’s none of your business.”

Vaggie’s eyebrows rose in shock, her mouth curling downwards in an angry sneer. 

“What?”

“It’s none of your business! I’m an adult, Vaggie! I can have conversations with people without reporting them back to you.”

Clenching her fists in an attempt to calm down, Vaggie let out a heavy sigh.

“Alright, I’m sorry, I overreacted there. I just..hate seeing you like this Charlie.”

Charlie’s expression softened at her despondent tone.

“Like what?”

“Just...so exhausted and ready to throw yourself at the slightest danger when it comes to the hotel!”

“I have to, Vaggie. I appreciate your concern but...this hotel is everything to me. I can’t let them take it away from me.”

“Not even for me?”

Alarm flashed across Charlie’s eyes.

“Vaggie-”

The moth cut her off, avoiding her eyes as she spoke.

“I-I know. It’s selfish and I shouldn’t be making you choose. But I can’t help it, Charlie. I’m so scared of losing you everytime one of these battles happens, and you’ve been so busy trying to get stronger that it feels like we’ve barely had time together. I..miss you. Miss  _ us. _ ”

Wrapping her arms around the moth, Charlie let out a wistful sigh.

“I’m sorry, Vaggie. I know I’ve been terrible about spending time with you recently, and I’ve missed you too. It’s just...I’m scared of losing you all too. That’s why I need to get stronger; so I can protect everyone. I thought I’d gotten stronger before, but it wasn’t enough. I was still weak; I...I would’ve killed you all if Alastor hadn’t been there. That’s why I have to become even stronger.”

Vaggie tightened her arms around Charlie, her face twisting with jealousy at the mention of the Radio Demon.

“Alastor this, Alastor that. You say you want to protect everyone, but why is Alastor allowed to be beside you?”

“I trust him to handle himself. He’s strong, Vaggie - much stronger than the both of us. He won’t fight my battles for me though; I have to. I have to be the one to protect everyone. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you all.”

Vaggie drew back from the hug then, desperate to make Charlie understand.

“You keep saying that, but who’s going to protect you?!”

Charlie tucked away a stray piece of Vaggie’s hair.

“I am.”   


“Charlie-!”

“Vaggie.” Her tone was stern. “You may not like it, but it’s my choice. Please respect that.”

Vaggie shook her head, protests spilling from her mouth.

“I can’t when it comes to your well-being Charlie! You need someone to take care of you!”

Now Charlie grew angry, her arms crossed in front of her.

“I don’t need you to baby me, Vaggie! I can take care of myself!”

“Like you did back there? Charlie, you passed out for days! You would be at the complete mercy of other demons, all because you threw your life away for the hotel!”

“It’s my life and my choice! I haven’t regretted it and I  _ won’t  _ regret it because it’s what I want!”

Out of breath from their impromptu yelling, the two stared at each other as they regained their composure. Sucking in a last gulp of air, Charlie’s expression turned melancholy. 

“I thought...you of all people would understand, Vaggie. You’re the one who’s been with me and working for this hotel from the beginning.”

The weight of disappointing Charlie settled itself heavily on Vaggie’s shoulders as she returned the melancholy look.

“It was never for the hotel, Charlie...I did it for _you_.”

Words fading from her lips at the moth's admission, Charlie let out a sigh.

“L-Look, let’s talk about this later. I’m still feeling exhausted from the fight and we’re not getting anywhere as we are now.”

Vaggie opened her mouth to protest, to say anything not to let it end the way it was going to, but she found herself unable to speak. The click of Charlie’s heels as she walked away felt deafening. Vaggie felt numb.

* * *

Back in her room, Charlie lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Razzle and Dazzle sat next to her, a source of warm and fluffy comfort against the stormy brew of thoughts in her head. 

Her interaction with Vaggie had gone  _ terribly _ _._ Charlie groaned, burying her face in the pillow she held. Her companions poked her gently in concern. She didn’t want to think about it any more, about  _ any _ of it.

Patting the fur of the two goats to reassure them that she was fine, Charlie’s mind recalled Alastor’s words.

_ “The demons in this world...they don’t respect you...will never respect you, unless you fill them with fear. It’s the only way you can make a voice for yourself, Charlie. The only way you can give yourself a podium so people will listen to you, so the sinners who want to seek redemption can find you and have the assurance of knowing you’re willing to do anything to ensure their safety, so they can truly achieve their goals.” _

She had thought Vaggie had been different. Vaggie, who was short-tempered but always kind to Charlie, always caring. Now Charlie wondered how much of it stemmed from Vaggie doubting her ability to take care of herself. Back then, it’d been different. Lonely as they were, they’d both latched onto each other at the first semblance of kindness. It had been easy in some sense, since they had each other and nothing else to lose. When her being Lucifer’s daughter meant being dismissed and disrespected just as she still was now, but without her royal lineage painting a giant target on her back for every step of progress she made. 

Now, the hotel and everyone in it was at stake. And she’d be damned to lose it.

“Razzle, Dazzle, I need you two to find out some information for me.”

If she was going to start the fight, she’d fight knowing her actions were justified through her own fact-checking, and not through the honey-lathered words of any demon, regardless of their power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! this chapter was probably one of my least favorite to write just because I hate having to make any characters argue :( still, it's important since we can see this is one of the driving pushes for Charlie in making a drastic decision which contradicts her own set of morals...
> 
> the other important point to bear in mind is that Vaggie is in no way a villain in the story! she's made very valid points to Charlie so far and in wanting to stand by her or spend time with her since she's her significant other. even when she did imply she'd make Charlie choose between the hotel and herself, she recognized it was unhealthy and was extremely honest about it with Charlie. sometimes relationships just fall apart thanks to differing priorities, as opposed to any one person being the villain.
> 
> all that aside, massive thank you to everyone for the 1.7k hits and over 90 kudos!! it seriously makes me so happy to know people are enjoying this haha <3 I'd also like to thank Yuyu_Mortus and xTonbo for their comments on previous chapter as well!! you guys made me smile so hard and absolutely made my week haha!
> 
> with that, i'll see you guys for the next chapter, where we'll see Charlie finally step forward and make an irreversible choice...


	15. A Change of Heart

Six days passed by unremarkably. Alastor spent his nights buried in paperwork and his days cooking up delicious Louisiana cuisine for the residents to enjoy. He took pride in his creations, though not even his enthusiasm for his meals fully distracted his thoughts from wandering to Charlie. 

The princess in question sat across from him, skillfully avoiding his eyes as she made conversation with Niffty. She seemed to adjust back into their usual schedule with ease, unaware of the extra attention she’d gained after the hotel residents had witnessed her fight. They were curious, Alastor mused. Curious to know how far she’d be willing to go next; impatiently, eagerly waiting for another attack. 

Perhaps he was foolish for being impatient too. 

For giving so much time for a decision which realistically wouldn’t change his goals in the end. Charlie seemed willfully ignorant to his thoughts however, never addressing his proposal when she met with him for business. His patience began to get the best of him. 

_‘I’ll kill him myself.’_

He watched her leave for the day, her smile as bright and happy as ever. 

_‘Never leave a job you want done to someone else.’_

The night blessed him with pleasant dreams of inhumane shrieks and the comforting warmth of blood as it seeped out of the body he tortured. 

* * *

4 a.m. struck the clock, the hotel silent as its residents slept. All but one. Magenta eyes glowing eerily in the darkness, Alastor hastily dressed. His dreams had only increased his hunger, and now was the perfect time to sneak out to make his long-awaited kill. Opening the door, he prepared to morph into his shadow form once more and devour any stragglers on his way. 

Until he noticed the jacket hanging on the doorknob outside of his room.

Puzzled, he grasped it, searching the dark hallway for any trace of the princess he’d given it to. She was nowhere in sight.

_‘A symbol of retreat then.’_ He assumed. A shame, really, since sharing the thrill of the kill would have been rather entertaining. Ah, but his early morning snack still awaited. Turning into a shadow, he darted past each room with a swift check to ensure no one was conscious to interfere. He passed by Charlie’s room. 

There was nothing.

Pausing, Alastor lurked in the shadow of the doorway. The jacket was cold, so the likelihood of the princess still being up was slim as she would have returned to bed after dropping it off. Perhaps she was in Vagatha’s room? But then he’d only felt the moth’s own energy signature. Suspicion rising in his head, Alastor let his power seep into the hotel perimeter. Still nothing.

Chuckling, he glanced back down at the jacket she’d returned.

_‘You kept me waiting, Charlotte.’_

* * *

Most demons, including herself, knew Charlie to be clumsy. Unintentionally careless, when it came to risking it all for the hotel. Ignorant even, when it came to the politics of Hell. 

It came as a surprise when she’d found that she was capable of being so meticulous when it concerned her first kill.

Initially, she’d still hoped for Alastor’s words to be wrong; still doubted her ability to go through with killing a demon with her bare hands, even as the desire to prove her independence and protect the hotel intermingled in her with a burning flame. Razzle and Dazzle’s investigation had shattered it all. She’d kept a smile up on the outside, but inside she was torn apart with both rage and despair. 

Her father...had tried to kill her.

There was no denial about it. No happy family memories from the past which she could look back on without a sharp sting of pain stabbing itself through her heart. It hurt. It hurt, and she wanted to cry and scream and demand him to explain himself, demand him to explain what she’d done so wrong for him to resort to this. Once upon a time they’d laughed together as he promised her that everything in Hell would one day be hers. Now, he’d set the angels on a path to her hotel...he’d given the mob leader a Divine Weapon…

He was fully aware that she’d die in the process of the hotel being destroyed. It hadn’t stopped him.

Selfishly, childishly, a part of her wished to inflict the same pain on him; the pain of someone meant to love you unconditionally abandoning you the instant you were in their way. But, she couldn’t. As much as she tried, she couldn’t simply cut him off, couldn’t change the duties which would inevitably await her. She couldn’t change the consequences and expectations of being born as Hell’s princess. Denying her duties, her role as the princess, had only worked for so long; given her a temporary reprieve in the form of the hotel, where people treated her as just Charlie. Reality could only be shut out for so long, however. If she couldn’t shirk her title of a royal in Hell, then she’d accept each consequence and fight for her life for the hotel instead. 

Violence...it sickened her. It went against all of her beliefs in achieving redemption through kindness, through self-improvement, through reflection. How ironic that she’d had to resort to it in the end. Had to turn to it for self-defense, for any semblance of respect. How Alastor, the infamous Radio Demon known for his beguiling and blood-lust, would teach her a harsh life lesson without once ever tearing into her or trying to destroy the hotel.

Damn her father. Damn all the demons who disrespected her, who walked all over her ideas because she was weak. 

She’d give them something to fear; something they’d learn to respect.

  
**No one got away with hurting _her_ hotel.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone, I hope you've all been well! thank you so so much for over 1.9K hits and 100+ kudos!! it feels like it was only a while ago that this fic hit even 100 hits or 50 kudos so it's super crazy that we've come this far and all of you are to thank for that <3 I'd also like to quickly thank Yuyu_Mortis as usual for their comment! seeing that inbox notification always makes me feel so happy haha
> 
> that aside, this chapter is a bit short (969 words), so I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow as per my schedule! expect much bloodshed to be involved...
> 
> see you then!


	16. First Blood And Fascination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello! please be warned that there will be graphic descriptions of violence and some cannibalism below c: enjoy!

Grumbling to himself, Tod Valton made his way home to the apartment he’d been assigned. It was hardly shabby as the King had assigned it to him personally, but Tod remained unsatisfied. A demon of his stature and influence in the overworld should never have had to be confined to such a pathetically small space, but his attempts to mind-control the King had failed, so here he was.

His royal-pain-in-the-ass-majesty hadn’t taken it too kindly when he’d returned after failing to deal with his hell-spawn of a daughter. Like Tod gave a shit - if it was a family matter, they should’ve duked it out themselves! How was he supposed to know she was so powerful?! That fancy weapon he’d gotten hadn’t done  _jackshit_ against her! Still, he was lucky he guessed. The big guy had found his recollection interesting so he’d let him off and just took the weapon back. It sucked, but he guessed all those lives he’d murdered back on earth were worth it.

He snickered when some nearby stragglers steered clear of him, intimidated by the power he gave off. Man, these demons weren’t worth shit. He’d gotten away with the deal from that one creepy motherfucker and now the King had promised him some new toys to play with...some new followers in the coming days. Tod might’ve only been in Hell for a short while, but he was smart enough to recognize there were some real bigshots. And he oughta be one of them. If there were desperate people up there, he’d find plenty of desperate suckers down here to worship him like the savior he was. He really was too kind for his own good.

Caught up in the thoughts of the grandiose cult he’d form, Tod failed to notice the golden pinpricks of light blending in amongst the stars as they followed his every move. Walking past an alley, he startled as something rustled in the darkness. Carefully stepping forward, he came face to face with…

A demon-goat?

The red-eyed creature regarded him with disinterest, seemingly occupied with admiring the night sky. Berating himself for being frightened by a harmless animal, Tod retraced his steps and turned his back to the alley. A childish giggle froze him in place.

Suddenly, the air was pushed out of his lungs as a force slammed down on him from above, arms wrapping around his sides in a binding grip.

“Found you~~!”

Before he could respond or recall why the feminine voice sounded so familiar, sharp talons sank into the soft flesh of his stomach. He let out a scream of agony, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Undeterred, his attacker sunk them in deeper, relishing in the blood which seeped from the fresh cuts. Wriggling in place violently, Tod tried to turn onto his front to flip his attacker, only to feel hooves crushing into his left foot. Letting out another swear of pain, he kicked his right foot violently in an attempt to hit his attacker, only to have it impaled by a sharp horn.

“AAHHHHHHHH!!”

“Ah, ah, ah~, that won’t do! Dazzle, please take care of his other foot for me? This nasty mister here was trying to  **_hu r t_ ** you and Razzle, and we don’t like that around here!”

The clatter of hooves against the pavement sounded and Tod shook his head in an attempt to catch the eyes of his attackers and mind control them. The sharp talons immediately sunk into his head, incoherent screams babbling forth from his mouth as they tore deeper and deeper and deeper, cracking past his skull and grazing the gelatinous softness of his brain. It was a disgusting, unimaginably horrendous feeling, as though a parasite had wriggled its way inside him. When the talons drew back, blood and brain fluid trickled from the wounds and bile rose from his throat. Over the sound of his own retching, Tod heard another spine-chilling giggle.

“Aw, looks like you’re feeling a bit sick, Mr. Valton! Here, let me hold your head steady for you!”

Covered in his blood, the claws held up his chin in a deceivingly gentle manner. Unable to do more than continue throwing up, Tod choked on his vomit, a pained gargle escaping him as another horn pierced his already steadily bleeding leg. The horns drew back, drawing another choked scream from his mouth as a chunk of his flesh was torn as though it was a mere piece of paper, blood spilling greedily from his femoral artery. Amidst the pain, the texture of two disgustingly slithery tongues lapped at the flowing scarlet, sharp teeth biting down into the flesh in eager search of more.

His arms were lifted from the ground and blood gurgled up in his throat as his attacker dislocated his arms and snapped his wrists. Each attempt at a call for help, each movement  _ hurt ,  _ nothing and everything feeling real as his world narrowed down to the pain coursing through his entire body, and the steady lightheadedness from his blood loss. Chest heaving with labored breaths, he barely registered when his attacker got off his body. Vision going hazy, he looked up as he was flipped over onto his back. Piercing vermillion filled his vision, and he willed his remaining strength into a last ditch attempt to mind control his attacker.

Immediately, he was met with a sharp kick across the face, the force sure to leave a bruise if he survived the attack.

“Mr. Valton...you might be wondering what’s happening.”

His attacker settled onto his body once more, their sharp horns threatening to gouge out his eyes.

“You might be wondering...who I am.”

A claw pierced into his throat and Tod floundered as blood shot out from the wound like a fountain, quickly overwhelming his heaving lungs.

“Well...all you really need to know is…”

It dragged down across his chest until it split open his body, exposing his ribs.

**_“_ Y o u hu r t m y hot e l, s o no w y o u ‘ l l pa y.”**

Unable to handle the pain any longer, Tod began to mercifully fall unconscious.

_**“N o t ye t.”** _

A fresh scream ripped from his throat as a white flame enveloped him, the pain scalding and destroying his cells even as it forced him to stay conscious. Charlie laughed gleefully, her voice distorted as the tips of her blood-soaked fingers shined a glorious white, blinding as she willed for a bigger and bigger flame. She was the true epitome of a fallen angel and demon then, the smile on her face unnervingly bright while she tightened her grip around the ribs on his left, snapping them as though they were mere sticks until her claws could reach in past his sternum and grasp the still-heaving heart in his chest. Carelessly tearing through the aorta, Charlie ripped out his heart, holding it victoriously in her hand as she was sprayed with blood. The warmth of the organ penetrated her skin, his final scream still ringing in her ears even as her fire continued to burn away, ensuring he’d feel pain until the very end.

Heaving, Charlie finally drew back, sitting to the side of the still-bleeding body. In the dark of the early morning, her eyes met magenta.

* * *

It was the most enthralling,  _ beautiful _ , gorey spectacle he’d ever seen. Almost as though he were the witness to a change in history.

There she was, an enchantingly lovely demon in all her true glory, draped in a gorgeous shade of crimson blood. A delicacy sweeter than any he’d known.

He could just  _ eat her up. _

Each pained scream, each snap of the ribs was music to his ears, her lilting giggles serving as the final melody to the symphony before him. Thrill coursed through him, his heart pumping with excitement and joy with each second he watched the glorious slaughter take place in front of him. Salivating, his claws trembled from the control which every instinct in him begged to rebel against, pure desire in his veins when she ripped out the heart.

His eyes eagerly traced each drop of blood as it cascaded down her heaving form, the princess finally drawing back to rest.

Electricity ran through his veins when their eyes met. Every nerve in his body felt as if it was on fire, her eyes like those of a temptress; blazing and fiery. It was as though they had bared their naked souls to each other then, connected together on an animalistic level he’d never thought possible with anyone before. Their power radiated to the other, clashing and mingling until they were one, and the air around them grew heady and hard to breathe in. His breath quickened, ears keen and alert to each rapid breath which escaped her mouth until they were in sync. 

After what felt like an eternity, her golden pupils broke the entrancing spell and glanced at the heart in her hand, its faint rhythm strumming against her palm.

As if granting him a holy chalice to drink from, she held out her claw and offered him the heart.

**_“E a t.”_ **

A slave to her command, he walked forward, the blood like a red carpet as it sloshed under his feet. His power grew stronger as he neared, threatening to tear her apart as her own did the same to him, biting and all-encompassing. He kneeled before her, starving for his meal yet unable to break his gaze away. The scent of copper radiated from her skin as she leaned closer and he inhaled it eagerly. Her claws were a gentle warmth against his face, smearing blood across his lips as she held the heart to his blood-thirsty fangs. He raised his claws to extract the offering from her generous hands and bit down, ecstasy overwhelming his senses. Lovingly, her claws thread through his hair, awarding him with a pat. He leaned into her touch, a strange and warm sensation bubbling up in his heart. All too soon she drew back, and he narrowly bit back the protest which threatened to escape. He watched as she stood in all her blood-soaked and gorgeous beauty. 

She met his eyes once more and Alastor was struck by the faint trace of fondness which flashed across her eyes as he looked up at her. Then, she was walking away, the blood splashing and leaving bloody footprints after her as she blended into the night, her two goat companions by her side.

A part of him felt oddly lonely. It demanded for him to call her back, to share in the glorious feast she’d gifted him. It filled him with the desire to hunt something for her too; to show her the scale of his own power and revel in her joy as they feasted together on his kill.

To...once more feel the fondness which only his mother had once gifted him with, before she was torn from his life.

But, he couldn’t refuse the feast she’d left for him to partake in. Turning his attention back to the magnificent display of viscera in front of him, Alastor’s perpetual grin widened with glee. 

Like a starving man, he tore into the body to satiate his greed.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, here we are everyone! hope you enjoyed that blood bath haha c: id like to thank you all for getting this fic to 2k+ hits!! you guys are amazing <33 id also like to thank Haxler for their comment on the last chapter - I know I kept you waiting a bit for the fight so hopefully it was worth it c:
> 
> that aside, I hope you all have a lovely rest of your day and I'll seeya for the usual update next week! <3


	17. No Remedy For Bloodlust

With the remnants of adrenaline still coursing through her veins, Charlie willed her wings into existence and darted up into the night sky, the cool air whipping past her face a welcome distraction from her kill.

...

‘I...actually _killed_ someone.’

Well, consciously this time at least, given she’d obliterated plenty of the demons that had attacked the hotel and some more during her fight with the angels. It was...surprisingly easy. Once Razzle and Dazzle had confirmed her father’s involvement and she’d had her breakdown, her anger had fueled everything. Tracking down Tod Valton had taken more time, but she’d been able to find out everything in the royal registry. Hell had to keep track of its ever-expanding population somehow, and unless they were Overlords or especially high rank demons, nobody generally cared enough to guard the information, which meant she’d easily gotten in through her royal status and bribery. Mostly the bribery. 

Of course his history of being hired by Lucifer was nowhere to be seen, though that was no shock since undercover missions were unlikely to be included. Still, she’d found out the location of his apartment and with Razzle and Dazzle’s help, acquired his typical routine and path home. Valton was a disgusting and money-hungry creature, with outlandish delusions of grandeur the size of all 9 circles of Hell combined. Bile had risen up her throat when she’d read about the cult he ran in the overworld and the horrific death he’d inflicted upon 909 victims. It was a miracle he hadn’t become an Overlord overnight, though Charlie suspected her father may have had a hand in that. She wasn’t sure why exactly he’d promised to give Tod the property and land the hotel was on, but evidently it’d been good enough that Valton had no qualms in bringing about her death. Still, the mind control abilities Valton had likely as a result of his manipulation in the Overworld were powerful enough to have controlled an entire horde right into her scorching flames. It was for everyone’s benefit that his power would no longer be put to use.

Distantly realizing she’d arrived, Charlie came to a swift landing and willed away her wings once more. Opening the door, she walked inside, feeling the sense of numb exhaustion tug at her again after she’d exerted herself in the fight. So caught up was she in the tiredness sweeping through her limbs that she failed to notice the stupefied looks of her residents, everyone stopping whatever they were doing to watch her, bloody steps left behind with each step she took. Husk, who’d been draining his morning bottle, immediately spit his drink upon seeing her pass by, doing a double take to make sure he was seeing things right as she made her way upstairs and into the hallway leading to her room.

Nifty, who’d been cleaning the basement, broke the shocked silence with immediate dismay when she emerged to find the once clean carpet littered with bloody footsteps.

“Oh my gosh, this is terrible!! Who would do this??”

The hotel lobby erupted into pandemonium.

* * *

Stepping into her bedroom, Charlie was surprised to see Vaggie already there, the moth looking out the window.

Upon hearing the door close, she turned.

“Charlie, wh- QUÉ MIERDA!” The scream that ripped from her throat startled Charlie into reality, following Vaggie’s gaze to herself.

_‘Oh.’_ She realized. _‘I’m still in my demon form...and covered in blood.’_

Wetting her mouth to explain her bloody state, she was interrupted by Vaggie’s confused screaming.

“What the FUCK happened to you, Charlie?! Is that your blood?!”

“No no no, don’t worry it’s not mine! I-.”

“Oh thank go-Oh my god. No...No, Oh my god! It’s someone else’s blood! What did you DO, Charlie?!”

Fumbling for words, Charlie could only stutter, anxiety rising in her throat at Vaggie’s screaming. 

“I-I-.”

“You...y-you killed someone, didn’t you? Y-you wouldn’t look so scared otherwise...wouldn’t look at me with such guilt in your eyes! Who did you kill, Charlie!?”

Charlie’s eyes bore into the floor.

“T-the mob leader guy from before..”

“WHAT?!”

“H-he survived the f-fight and I...I couldn’t just let him get away after everything he did!”

“So you killed him?! Are you fucking KIDDING me?! He wasn’t even threatening us at that point, probably terrified after your crazy ass fucking powers - you scared EVERYONE with that shitshow!”

Charlie shook her head, her eyes filled with desperate determination as she looked back up at Vaggie’s enraged face.

“N-no, you don’t understand, Vaggie! He was-!” 

“What don’t I understand, Charlie?! The fact that you just fucking KILLED SOMEONE AND WALTZED IN HERE COVERED IN THEIR BLOOD?!”

Coughs accompanied Vaggie’s yelling, her throat already sore from the onslaught of anger she’d dealt Charlie.

“NO, LISTEN! Vaggie, you have no idea how awful he was! He killed _so_ many people back in the mortal realm just for power and money!”

“Charlie, I don’t care how awful this man was - this is HELL for fuck’s sake; EVERYONE’S AWFUL! You don’t just suddenly decide to FUCKING KILL someone! What happened to you being against violence, huh?! When did you turn into such a fucking **_monster?!_ **”

The words stung deeply, Charlie’s heart close to shattering. Tears gathered in her eyes and she struggled to speak without breaking out into sobs.

“H-he was going to do the same with all of you, V-Vaggie! H-he would’ve destroyed e-everything!”

Vaggie’s fury remained unrelenting, only growing more enraged at the sight of the princess’s watery eyes. At her silence, Charlie sniffled before babbling further.

“Y-you’ve never b-been this upset before, I-I don’t understand!”

“YEAH, BECAUSE THOSE WERE IN SELF-DEFENSE! YOU WEREN’T FORCED TO PROTECT ANYONE THIS TIME! YOU JUST STRAIGHT UP SOUGHT HIM OUT AND KILLED HIM, CHARLIE!”

Unable to hold back any longer, the tears streamed down Charlie’s face. 

“Oh, you’re fucking crying now? Want to make yourself the victim and for me to pity you?? Maybe you should’ve thought of that BEFORE YOU KILLED HIM!”

Vaggie’s words infected her mind like poison, Charlie gasping for air through her tears.

“V-Va-.”

Vaggie’s fist collided with the wall, the sound cutting off Charlie’s pitiful attempt to speak.

“ _DON’T_ you fucking say my name.”

Her eye was filled with pure repulsion.

“I should’ve known this is what would’ve happened when you started hanging around Alastor more. He’s made you into a fucking **_murderer_ ** like him and you don’t even feel remorse for it! ‘I can take care of myself’? ‘I will protect myself’? What a _fucking **joke**_ **_._** ”

Protests rising in her mind, Charlie could only let out a sob. Vaggie closed her eye, her arms crossed tightly around herself as she forced in a breath.

“And you’re supposed to be running a redemption hotel? Discouraging violence?? HA! Some _fucking_ example you set, jumping at the chance to kill someone!”

Another angry huff of air escaped her lips.

“I can’t believe you of all people would go this far.”

Her eye opened again, looking at Charlie’s trembling form with indifference. 

“I never thought I’d say this, but you’re really no different than your parents...Ready to throw around justification for violence everytime it comes to something you ‘care about’.”

Hands curling into fists by her side, tears welled up in Vaggie’s own eye.

“You...you **_disgust_ ** me, _**Charlotte Magne** _ _**.**_ ”

The sound of the door slamming after the moth was deafening as Charlie crumpled to the ground, her demon form finally receding as she cried in full earnest. Her despair must’ve been so great that it alerted her companions as she felt them gently nuzzle her. Still she couldn’t stop crying, her heart aching with pain as her mind replayed Vaggie’s words. Mucus gathered itself in a disgusting glob in her throat the harder she cried, stuffing her nose until she could barely breathe and was forced to subside her crying if only to blow her nose. 

  
Finally, unable to cry any longer, Charlie collapsed on her bed, careless of the tear streaks and puffy eyes and _blood_. Hiccuping, she cradled Razzle and Dazzle close for a small inkling of comfort until she fell into a blessedly dreamless sleep, exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing arguments is always a painful experience but hey, actions have consequences! vaggie has every right to freak out - Charlie killing anyone is unheard of! tune in next chapter for more of alastor's thoughts on this debacle and what he schemes to do with Charlie next...
> 
> that aside, thank you as always for the 118 kudos and the 2.2k+ hits!! you guys are amazing <3 I'd also like to give special thanks to Yuyu_Mortis, Haxler, Arikenus, and Izuocha_Love for their wonderful comments on the last chapter - it makes me so happy knowing you guys are enjoying the story!! <3
> 
> finally, I'd also like to quickly plug another one of my Charlastor fics - Carmine Rose! my writing style isn't for everyone but I'd still appreciate you guys taking a look c:
> 
> thank you for your support and cya! <3


	18. An Obsessive Preoccupation

After stuffing himself to the brim with his princess’s exquisite kill, Alastor set about cleaning himself off. It was an easy feat since his hunting sprees were quite frequent, so he’d grown accustomed to keeping spare clean suits. He’d debated on whether or not to clean up the unpalatable remains of the body before he left, but ultimately decided against it. This was just the first of many to follow, after all. No, instead of cleaning it up, he instead used the remaining blood to spell out a message.

‘YOUR SINS AGAINST HAZBIN HOTEL WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED.’

Perhaps a bit dramatic, but the grizzly body accompanying the words should still suffice. Of course, by itself it’d never be enough to catch Lucifer’s attention - no, for that there was still much work to be done.

Chuckling, Alastor adopted his shadow form and deftly made his way back to the hotel.

* * *

Upon his return, Alastor immediately noticed the buzz of noise and the gossip circulating throughout the lobby. Strolling past, his smile widened in amusement at the wisps of conversation he heard.

“Did you see her-?”

“-totally covered in blood-!”

“-heard them screaming, not sure if-.”

Catching Husk’s eye from across the room, Alastor joined the Cat Demon at his bar.

“Did you put her up to all this?”

Alastor continued to smile, silent.

“You did. Un-fucking-believable.” Rubbing the crease in his forehead, Husk turned his back to the Radio Demon to grab a drink. “Usual?”

“I’ll have to decline. I had a lovely meal earlier which has me stuffed to the brim!” 

Husk’s eyes narrowed in disgust.

“You had her  _eat_ someone? Miss goody-two shoes? How the _ fuck . _ ”

“Goodness no! She only committed her first murder, it’d be madness for her to take to  _ that _ so soon! It’s a refined taste.”

Husk rolled his eyes and took a swig from his bottle.

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say you sick bastard. Guess that explains her fucked up appearance. One-eyed bitch was royally pissed.”

Alastor leaned in, his eyebrows raising in intrigue.

“Oh?”

“She was losing her shit over Charlie killing someone and the blood or something. Couldn’t catch much else since everyone here got noisy as fuck. Think she stormed off and locked herself in her room. No clue what the princess is up to.”

Nodding his head in response, Alastor stood from the bar seat and sauntered off, stopping only to greet Niffty before he went upstairs.

“Master Al! Welcome back!”

Chuckling at her typical enthusiastic demeanor, he gave her a pat on the head.

“Thank you my dear. I presume you were also witness to the bloody state the princess was in?”

Niffty shook her head, her curls bouncing with each movement.

“No sir! She did leave a HUGE mess though! It was so horrible...bloodstains and red carpet never mix well!”

Alastor hummed in agreement.

“Indeed. May I ask you to procure some spare clean suits for Miss Charlie? She and I will be taking on more business which will involve making a bit of a mess.”

Niffty let a soft sound of intrigue and eagerly nodded her head.

“Of course, Master Al! I’ll have them done lickety split!”

Satisfied, Alastor left the small demon to continue her tasks and ascended the stairs. His smile widened when he heard the faint sound of crying as he passed by the moth demon’s room before stopping in front of Charlie’s door. Knocking politely, he called out.

“Charlie my dear, I’d like to speak with you!”

Silence greeted him. 

Noticing the lack of light in the room from underneath the doorway, Alastor quietly opened the door. With the curtains blocking off any light from entering the room, Alastor let the door close behind him as he stepped into the darkness. Catching a hint of blonde hair hiding beneath the covers, he made his way over to the bed to find Charlie sleeping. Angry red streaks stained her pale complexion, her eyes puffy from tears. She was still covered in blood.

Cooing at her pitiful state, Alastor gently ran his claws through her tangled hair. His  _ poor _ princess had really tired herself out. Even in her exhaustion, he found her to look unfathomably pretty with the blood coating her skin. Remembering the fond way she’d looked at him and her gentle touch, he pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, pushing away the urge to lick her clean. 

“You will be brilliant, ma chere.” He whispered, mindful to not wake her.

“I will teach you, and though some will fear you, you’ll gain far more than you’ll ever lose.”

Pressing another gentle kiss to her button-like nose, he pulled away.

“You are worthy. My companionship is yours, darling.”

He walked back out of the room, sparing a final glance to her sleeping form.

  
“And you are  **_mine_ ** **_._** ”   
  


* * *

In an ideal world, Charlie would have awoken the following morning with a renewed sense of confidence and the comfort of knowing her hotel was safe. 

This was not an ideal world.

Her hunched shoulders and timid demeanor spoke volumes about how Vaggie’s screaming match had affected her. Not for the first time in his life, Alastor considered throwing the moth into a pit of alligators or something equally painful and entertaining. He had spun his web fantastically and Charlie had passed with flying colors, yet sweet  _dear_ Vagatha had still found a way to interfere. Charlie had proven to be so magnificent and capable when she’d been in the fight. It was a pitiful sight watching her avoid everyone, shame tangible in her watery eyes.

Unfortunately, that also included him. Alastor’s attempts to approach her had been met with short one-word responses before she found some excuse and scurried away, unwilling to talk about what had happened that night. Disappointing, to say the least, as he’d been terribly excited to teach her more. Still, Alastor was a gentleman at heart, and infuriatingly patient when he wanted to be. Approaching her as she was would gain nothing; she was far too skittish and he...was unfamiliar with the emotions of regret or guilt and shame. He had no desire to act in front of her either, now that she’d established herself as someone worth respecting and keeping by his side.

So, biding his time, he watched over her from a distance, always lurking nearby to scare off any residents who dared approach her. He was especially vigilant when it came to Vaggie, though his job was made easier by Charlie herself, who avoided the moth’s judgemental and disapproving eyes. Of course, he was also subject to her infuriated glaring. Hilarious was the only word he could think of to describe her. It truly amazed him how someone so small could hold so much anger on a constant basis. With her internal inferiority complex, Vaggie was endlessly fun to agitate. She looked practically ready to explode from how he stuck by Charlie’s side, yet she couldn’t put aside her own hatred for Charlie’s actions long enough to do anything! It always gave him a good chuckle.

Still, his dear demon belle could only continue to avoid a confrontation for so long. It simply wouldn’t do for all her potential to go to waste. He waited eagerly for the opportunity to breach through her shell to appear.

And appear, it did.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! thank you for patience; I had some trouble getting the chapter up so there may be a delay in when it shows up on the site c: that aside, I hope you enjoyed today's chapter featuring simp alastor and alastor respecting boundaries! next chapter we'll dive a little more into Charlie's mind again because you don't just insta-recover from being screamed at after killing someone, and the chapter after that will feature our morally questionable hero alastor once again...
> 
> thank you all for the 2.4k hits and for the 120+ kudos! you guys are amazing <3 also special thanks to both Arikensus and Yuyu_Mortis for their comments on my last chapter! I really appreciate the feedback and knowing you guys are reading haha c:
> 
> hope you all have a lovely day and cya next week! comments and kudos are appreciated and feed my soul <3


	19. Crippling Doubt

Suffocating.

Everything was...suffocating. 

It’s the only way she could think to describe it - the sensation of so many curious and expectant and disappointed eyes on her. Their crushing weight reminded her of the past in a way that she had always wished to forget; the endless judgemental stares at the royal ball and her father’s cruel smile coupled with his disapproving gaze.

Gasping for air, she let herself crumple into a ball, willing her lungs to  _breathe breathe breathe_ as a panic attack hit her for the third time that day alone. A new normal she’d unfortunately had to accept as part of her routine ever since...ever since her first kill. She’d come to accept calling it that; there was no point denying it when she faced the consequences of it even now.

But...was she truly a monster as Vaggie said? Had she been wrong for...for killing Valton? Had she unfairly taken out the anger that was meant for her father towards him instead? Could he still have been redeemed, no matter how terrible he was? These doubts had plagued her mind for days, eating her up from the inside like a living parasite. She couldn’t even bear looking in Vaggie’s general direction, each thought of the moth bringing forth the echo of her disgust for Charlie. Even her sleep was corroded by the intrusive thoughts; her nightmares filled with a circle of eyes mocking her while her father laughed in the background. 

  
Then there were the whispers. The  _ whispers  _ and curious, fearful eyes of her residents as they unabashedly stared at her like she was some party clown strung up for their entertainment. It felt like the hotel she’d fought so hard to protect had turned into her own prison. There was nowhere she could go without feeling their oppressive and insistent stare.

Surprisingly, the most ruthless of them all had also been the most accommodating. Alastor had quickly picked up on her unwillingness to talk and had left the topic alone, though he continued to lurk near her. She was unused to his constant attention, feeling his magenta eyes staring holes into her back. A part of her appreciated his presence because it scared away the others, but she couldn’t help feeling as though it was his silent way of pressuring her into talking, which just made her feel more antsy in the end.

Footsteps interrupted her thoughts from delving further and she struggled to her feet, the fear running rampant in her veins causing her to hide amongst the shadows. Vaggie walked past the hallway, her steps heavy and her fist clenched tightly as she shut the door to her room after herself. Charlie’s relief was short-lived upon seeing Vaggie’s morose and frustrated expression. Guilt threatened to eat her alive once more.

Coming out of hiding, Charlie let out a deep sigh. 

She was so tired of feeling so miserable.

  
She just wanted to _run away._

As if hearing her despair, the shutters of a distant window clacked loudly, scaring Charlie from her thoughts. Walking into the unused room to close the window, a cold gust of wind gently caressed Charlie’s face. She paused, staring out into the eternal Hell night sky and the quiet buildings below.

Free from the crushing weight of others and their unspoken expectations and opinions.

Free...

Charlie took a cursory glance behind her. She couldn’t sense Alastor. For a rare moment, she was truly alone. Glancing back at the open window, Charlie’s mind was made up.

Crouching onto the sill, she let herself fall, the cool air whipping past and tussling her hair. 

At the last second she summoned her wings, disappearing into the night sky.

* * *

Powerful gusts of air followed each flap of her wings, taking her further and further from the hotel. Further and further until it was no longer in sight and the darkness, unnerving as it was welcoming, prevented her from recognizing where she was. Descending towards the ground, Charlie kept a keen eye out for any demons, though luckily she saw none. Softly dropping to the ground, she willed away her wings once more.

In truth, she would’ve preferred to stay up in the beautiful night sky forever, but the wings were taxing on her power. It was only recently that she’d truly begun to use them without fear kicking in and now she failed to understand how she could’ve ever been afraid of something so wonderful. Chuckling, Charlie set to walking through the quiet street. Her eyes were drawn to the lights shining from the houses showing demons eating dinner, arguing, and carrying on with their daily lives within each home. She found it to be magical in its own way, these glimpses of light in eternal darkness.

“Well well well, if it isn’t Hell’s failed abortion.”

Flinching, Charlie turned to find Katie Killjoy, the news anchor dressed in her typical red suit and dress and done up hair. Her mind struggled to comprehend why on earth she would be here.

“Y-you live here?”

Katie blanched.

“In this slump? Fuck no. I’m supposed to get some intel on one of the pathetic sacks of shit living in this dump. Peasant work, but they’re paying good money.”

Her red eyes zeroed in on Charlie then, a wicked grin sprouting on her face.

“Some fucking joke you run with that hotel of yours. So much for redemption when you have the Radio Demon as your fucking lapdog. Does he come running for your help whenever you need? HA!”

Charlie stepped back, confused.

“W-what?”

Katie rolled her eyes.

“That demon you killed. I covered it in the news. Of course, no one actually  _ believes  _ your pathetic excuse of an existence could go through with it. I just think it’s fucking funny you’ve got the Radio Demon at your every beck and call to carry on your dirty work while you sit around and pretend to be Mother Theresa!” Her raucous laughter and mocking words hurt Charlie more than they should have, her doubts resurfacing in full clarity and breaking through Charlie’s fragile defense.

Egged on by her silence, Katie pushed her shoulder harshly, Charlie stumbling back in response. She laughed again.

“See? A joke! You might have played it up on T.V. to seem like some monster, but honey you aren’t worth  _ shit. _ ” Emphasizing her words, Katie pushed her back again, this time landing a punch against Charlie’s arm. It stung.  _ ‘Monster’ _ , she’d said.

The rest of Katie’s words faded out to Charlie, only punctured through by the pain as she let herself be hit and pushed back again and again.

_ ‘Monster.’ _

_ ‘I’m...a  **monster.’** _

Her mind continued to obsess over the word, a somber acceptance washing over her with each pang of regret.

**_‘I deserve to be hit.’_ **

Vaggie’s words circulating through her head, she willed the pain to free her from her thoughts and to punish her for her irreversible actions. Taking advantage of Charlie’s silent compliance, Katie summoned forth the rest of her arms, ready to descend upon the princess and pummel her into submission.  _  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> manipulation can only reign in the guilt of taking a life for so long, and Charlie has always struggled to forgive herself when any fault lays in her hands...to what extent would she be willing to get hurt to atone?
> 
> this chapter was one of the more depressing ones since we deep-dive into Charlie's mind, but rest assured some reassurance is on its way in the next chapter... that aside, I hope you've all had a lovely week, and thank you all so so much for the 2.7k hits and 140+ kudos!! you guys are AMAZING <3 I'd also like to give a massive thank you to Yuyu_Mortis, Arikensus, and SchoolSukks for their encouraging comments!!
> 
> finally, I'd like to thank TiaTia for ALL 10 COMMENTS on different chapters throughout this fic! you left me stupefied when I saw how far the number of comments spiked, and I cannot thank you enough for your kind words and for your time! you are a blessing of a person and I hope you're doing well, wherever you may be!! thank you so much for reading my story! <3


	20. An Artful Touch of Reassurance

Seconds passed by and Charlie looked up from the ground, her eyes traveling up a familiar pair of dress shoes and a snazzy striped suit. 

“Pardon my intrusion Mrs. Killjoy, but I do believe it’s time you left.”

“What?” Her eyes blinked in confusion, body still adjusting to the shock of being interrupted so abruptly.

Alastor grinned widely and tightened his grip, reveling in the cry of pain when he snapped the bone in her wrist before flinging his hand back and vaulting her body into the sky.

“Goodbye now!” 

Charlie watched in muted shock as Katie was flung into the depths of the night sky, her scream growing more distant before abruptly cutting off as she disappeared into a menacing black vortex.

A soft touch interrupted her thoughts. 

“Are you alright, my dear? Quite fortunate I noticed you were missing in time.” Crouching in front of her, Alastor gently held her chin as his eyes scrutinized her body for injuries. With her permission, he rolled up the sleeve of her shirt to her shoulder, drawing a quiet wince from Charlie. Though he said nothing, Charlie could see the spark of anger lighting up in his eyes at the sight of her bruises and she scrambled to stop him from going after Katie.

“N-no, it’s okay! I...let her hurt me. It could’ve been worse.” Magenta eyes searched her own. Eventually convinced by her earnest gaze, Alastor let out a sigh and stood, offering his hand for help. Grasping it, she shakily stood and silence ensued between the two.

“It’s baffling.”

Charlie perked up in surprise, momentarily forgetting her trepidation to face the Radio Demon.

“What?”

“It’s simply baffling!” He repeated. “I don’t understand how people are driven to punish themselves over something they can’t change.” 

Unused to his serious tone, Charlie remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

“With anyone else, it’d be terribly entertaining; downright hilarious even! However...you are an exception, sweetheart.”

Something warm tingled in Charlie at his words and his steady gaze. 

_‘He’s...he’s being sincere.’_ She realized with some surprise. Realizing he had her full attention, his tone softened further.

“Charlie, my dear, this needs to be resolved. You cannot simply avoid everyone forever and it’s been downright pitiful watching you become reduced to some kind of hermit.”

The princess sighed, rubbing her shoulder to distract from the tension that rose up in her stomach.

“Y-yeah, I know...It’s just-.”

Alastor nodded encouragingly.

“It’s all been so suffocating...it feels like everyone’s wary of me now or just waiting for me to explode again, and I-I don’t know what to do! I feel like a monster for having gone so far...but I don’t entirely regret killing Valton either, which just makes me think I’m more of a monster! I have no idea what I should do, _can_ do, and Vaggie said she was disgusted by me and she hasn’t spoken to me for days and I-...I just feel really...scared. And alone. Y’know?”

Alastor, who’d been listening intently throughout her rant, nodded thoughtfully, then shrugged.

“No! I have absolutely no clue, my dear.”

Charlie blinked up at him.

“Wh-.”

“I’m different from you.” He said, candidly. “I’ve never felt the guilt of taking another’s life or the shame from what others thought of my actions. They are simply things I am able to portray though I cannot truly feel them.”

“..Oh.” Charlie looked back down to the ground, feeling crushed. Of course he didn’t feel regret like her - he was the Radio Demon! She was such an idiot for blabbing her mouth without thinking...

“However.”

She looked up once more. His ever-present smile was kind.

“I do believe I can understand the isolation and pressure in my own way. I also faced much of the first throughout my life in the Overworld.”

“R-really?”

Alastor chuckled at the thinly veiled hope in her eyes.

“Of course, my dear! Most mortals don’t take kindly to you being a serial killer, you know! Oh, their terrified faces were such a delight!”

Alastor’s laughter soon dwindled upon seeing Charlie’s put-off facial expression. He cleared his throat, still smiling.

“Still, it was troublesome and terribly boring without others around. Nifty and Husk make my job far easier for me. Companionship is a necessity even I cannot escape, so I can see why you’d be so antsy over losing that of your _dear_ Vagatha.”

“Yeah...it just...hurts to feel like I’m losing her, when she’s the one who was by my side from the start. Especially since it feels like it’s all my fault.”

Alastor closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. Charlie glanced at him questioningly.

“Indeed. I felt the same with the passing of my mother.”

Though his smile remained steadfast, she could see the corner of his mouth tilting downwards and making his expression seem morose.

“She was spectacular. Why, her jambalaya had the neighborhood flocking to our doors each dinner! I have such fond memories of dancing in the kitchen with her when I was young…”

“What happened to her?”

Alastor’s smile turned dark.

“My father. He was nothing short of a tyrant and well...I was a mere boy then. I couldn’t protect her.”

Emotions welling up in her throat, Charlie let out a painful breath and surged forward to hug him. For a fearful moment, Alastor was still, his body frozen under her touch. Convinced she’d made a mistake, Charlie went to retreat, only to feel him softly hug her back. He rested his chin in the nest of her hair, his breath tickling her strands.

“I was a monster in their eyes, Charlie. I was the beast for killing him. For being unable to stop seeing the phantoms of his face on each victim, in each nightmare, where he’d kill her again and again.”

Tears bubbled up from her eyes, muffled apologies spewing from her mouth. He smiled.

“Hush now, it’s alright, sweetheart. I’m merely telling you my tale so you may learn from it. You are not a monster, Charlie. He would have attempted to kill you all again, had he had the chance. You protected yourself and the hotel.”

Sniffling, she drew back, her fingers wiping furtively at her eyes.

“Y-yeah, b-but I was the one who s-sought him out this time...H-he could’ve l-left us a-alone.”

Alastor shook his head, grasping her jaw as he stared intently into her eyes.

“He wouldn’t have.”

“H-how d-do you k-know?”

He smiled, shaking his head as though it were an obvious fact.

“I’ve dealt with thousands of demons like him, Charlie. You know yourself the type of man he was - greedy and arrogant. It was destined to occur again had you not stepped in.”

Noticing the trickle of disbelief in her eyes, he leaned in closer, teasing her lashes with his own.

“Believe me, darling. Have I ever sought to hurt you? I offered my help with the hotel for a reason, and I prevented you from destroying it, though you know it would’ve been entertaining for me. Now, I have saved you yet again. I mean no ill intent towards you.”

Entranced by his proximity and the sweet words carried by his heady breath, Charlie could only agree. He...was right. Maybe Alastor wasn’t the most trustworthy person, and his intentions in helping the hotel were questionable, but he truly had been kind to her and saved her when he didn’t have to.

Allowing his claws to trace down the small of her back, Alastor continued weaving his saccharine words carefully, pleased with the way he could feel her pulse quicken.

“Remember what I told you, Charlie? You cannot progress in Hell without _fear_ , and to inflict _fear_ _,_ you need to use some _force_ ; just a _tad_ bit of violence. There’s nothing wrong with that! You don’t want to lose the hotel, after all, right?”

Charlie sniffled again, a stray tear escaping her eye.

“N-no...b-but I’m a-againt using violence w-where it’s not needed...a-and what would my p-patients think? I’d look l-like a hypocrite…”

Alastor gently wiped away the tear with his free hand, drawing her closer to the heat of his body.

“Ah, but you already _know_ it was needed, or else you wouldn’t have gone through with all these battles would you? Wouldn’t have killed otherwise.”

Charlie nodded timidly, her head swimming with confusion at the feeling of his body against hers. Tilting his head to the side and leaning in, his words came out as a soothing whisper.

“You are simply doing what you were already doing from the start, Charlie. Think about it, my dear! You didn’t wait around when you saw a problem in Hell; you went for it! You took the first step and pushed for the hotel even when you were shot down _countless_ times! When Vagatha attempted to _hold you back_ , to _prevent_ you from presenting that marvelous song of yours about the hotel to gain traction, you did it _anyway_ ! You _fought back_ against Killjoy when she attacked you. And because of all that, I found you.”

Her heart squeezed in her chest as he drew back, clasping her hands and drawing their palms flat against one another, looking impossibly fond.

“And you.. _._ _found me._ ”

How was it possible he looked so _sincere_?

“What you are doing now is no different. You’re merely taking initiative as you _always_ have to protect your beliefs, to _protect_ what you care about. Vaggie may not understand, Charlie, but _I_ do! You are not alone, my dear. We are the _same_ in that way! You are not blindly attacking as you see fit - you’re simply eliminating _threats_ before they can hurt you! It is _effective_ and _smart ,_ not _monstrous_ of all things! Heavens, no! You’d be _monstrous_ if you _didn’t seek them out and **kill** them!_ You’d be a mere _cruel_ bystander!”

His voice had grown louder and louder with each exclamation and she found herself agreeing, nodding along more and more vehemently.

_‘Yes, he’s-he’s right!’_

“I-I’m not a monster!” She repeated, passion flaring up in her eyes to match his, her voice growing louder and more confident with each exclamation. “I’m just protecting what I love! I’m only using violence to take out threats to the hotel - I’m taking the first step like I’ve always done!”

“Brilliant, my dear, brilliant!”

Caught up in the excitement, Alastor lifted her from the ground, twirling her in a circle as she laughed happily, feeling free for the first time in days. Pride twinkled in his eyes like shooting stars, his smile wide and happy as he brought her close once more, setting her down on the ground with a soft click of her heels.

Intoxicated by the dopamine running through her veins, Charlie let herself lean against him, unable to stop laughing until he began laughing at her for her ridiculousness too. She smiled, warmth encompassing her heart at the carefree and pleased expression on his face.

“You’re... _beautiful_ _._ ” The words slipped out unintentionally, Charlie immediately clasping her hand over her offending mouth as she flustered. Alastor, who’d barely recovered from his last laughing fit, broke into it anew, his radio audience cooing along to her dismay.

“You look quite dashing yourself, my dear!” He managed at last, wiping away a tear from his eye, a smug smile on his face at her pout.

Shaking her head, Charlie let out a happy sigh and turned to face the moon staring down upon them. It was beautiful. She felt thankful for being able to see it, here in the midst of the night in the city of Hell, feeling high as a kite with Alastor by her side. She could feel the weight of his eyes studying her, two glimmering rubies in the darkness. He was warm.

In the past, she would’ve been happy to spend the night like this forever. To revel in the warmth and happiness until her sorrows went away. But...she wasn’t a child anymore, and the magical moment they’d had was already broken. He’d made her face her fears and instilled the confidence which she so desperately lacked. Now, it was her turn to act.

“Thank you, Al.”

“You’re quite welcome!” He sounded so ridiculously happy that she couldn’t help but momentarily break her serious character and giggle, and it looked like he was aware based on the smug smile he sported.

“Seriously though. You helped me a lot today, and I really appreciate that. I’ve...realized that I need to confront Vaggie about a lot of this. I don’t think she was trying to intentionally hold me back like you said, but we’re too different in what we care about right now for this to go on.”

An affirmative hum followed in response to her words. Charlie turned to study Alastor.

Maybe it was the unexpected reassurance he’d provided, even as he was cunning in his delivery. Maybe it was the close proximity, or the way he’d twirled her in the night sky with his eyes shining like stars. 

She wasn’t sure.

Standing on her tippy-toes, she pressed a warm kiss onto his cheek. She relished in the way his self-satisfied expression gave way to surprise, genuinely caught off guard by her gesture. Now feeling more confident than ever, she let her wings appear once more, not missing the way he looked at her with awe.

“I think I’m ready to head back to the hotel. I’ll see you later, Alastor.” Her voice was melodious to him as she took off into the night sky, moonlight bathing her in its gentle light.

Contentment filled Alastor’s chest, a simple smile on his face as he watched her fly away.

“Goodnight, Charlie.”

* * *

Losing sight of her in the clouds which steadily drifted across the starry sky, Alastor let out a sigh.

_‘To think you still manage to catch me off guard like so...You are a treat, Charlie.’_

A smile worked its way up his face. 

That had gone far better than he’d ever thought possible! He’d been sure of his success, of course, but still he had managed to outdo even his own expectations! More than ever, he felt proud of his choice of her as his companion. She was a stunning creature, Charlotte Magne, sweeping him up in emotions of joy he’d known the thrill of only through his kills and the nostalgic New Orleans jazz and dance which still resonated through his blood. 

  
  


Since she had regained her confidence and her drive, he had much to prepare for. Her strong feelings towards violence were a limitation he’d have to account for, but that was hardly an issue for Alastor. He would easily attract the attention of more than one threat to the hotel, so his dear Charlie never had to fret about feeling guilty. No, she’d simply enjoy the thrill alongside him with the assurance that she was protecting the hotel.

And him?

Well, he had the pleasure of her companionship while gaining yet another ace up his sleeve to use against Lucifer. Giddy from his success, Alastor cackled in earnest, the world shifting and glitching around him.

_**“H ow e nt ertain in g!”** _   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello all of you lovely people! thank you all so much for the 150+ kudos and 3k hits!! you guys are awesome <3
> 
> today's chapter focused on alastor doing what he does best - reassuring charlie with a sprinkle of truth and some manipulation! of course, it's only so effective since Charlie also believes what he says on her own c:
> 
> that aside, I'd like to give special thanks to Helindi, AnonBanon, and Arikenus (I got it right this time :b) for their lovely comments on the last chapter! it's really cool seeing you guys sympathize with Charlie and understand her distress c: your words give me life <3 also thank you to PeacetoWorld for their comments a few chapters back as well! the wedge between Vaggie and Charlie is almost complete!
> 
> cya next time and hope you have a good week, everyone! take care of yourselves c:


	21. Dying Embers

Despite the bravado she’d had with Alastor, Charlie couldn’t help but feel pinpricks of fear and anxiety. Realistically, she knew this conversation had to happen; that much wasn’t a question. Yet still she was nervous. Charlie was never one for arguments even as a child, easily succumbing to the pressure and crying. Her father had taught her not to take shit from any other demons, but Vaggie wasn’t exactly giving her shit. She actually had valid points. Charlie did as well. They were just...different and it was...scary.

Unusual.

_ ‘Gah, come on, Charlie! Go talk to her! It’s like Al said - you can’t keep avoiding everyone! GO!’ _

Mustering her courage and giving herself a small fistpump for good measure, Charlie confidently -not really- stepped out of the shadows and cut across Vaggie’s way to her room.

“Joder! What the _ fuck _ _,_ Charlie?” Despite her initial scare, Vaggie quickly became angry.

“H-hey! I think we should...I mean! We need to talk. Now.” She stood strong despite her initial stumble. Vaggie scoffed, making a move to walk away, only to be halted in place by Charlie’s hand grasping hers.

“Please, Vaggie.” Her grip was firm.

Mentally counting down from ten, Vaggie let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Fine. What do you have to say?”

Maintaining her hold for a few more seconds to ensure the moth wasn’t going to run away, Charlie finally let go and cleared her throat.

“Vaggie, I’m sorry that my actions upset you. I realize I’ve been a terrible girlfriend in more ways than one. I haven’t been looking after you or spending time with you as much, or reassuring you like I should’ve been, especially when you were so worried about losing me. I’ve been really caught up with keeping the hotel safe and getting stronger. That doesn’t excuse the fact that your needs aren’t being met.”

Surprised by her straightforwardness, Vaggie carefully took in her words and nodded, though her expression remained skeptical.

“But?”

Charlie shook her head.

“There is no but. I’ve been awful and I’m admitting it. You deserve better than that.”

Vaggie sighed, her arms crossed defensively.

“Yeah, you have been. Apologizing doesn’t really change anything but it’s a start, I guess. What about the killing?”

Sucking in a breath, Charlie straightened her spine, looking Vaggie dead in her eye.

“I don’t regret it.”

“What?!”

“I...don’t regret it.” Noticing the moth’s mouth open in protest, Charlie scrambled to continue. “I-I know that’s going to upset you, but hear me out! That mob leader - Valton - attacked the hotel with the intent of destroying it and to kill all of you. I know you’re going to say that I was still the one who went out of my way to kill him - and you’re right! I did. But he would have attacked the hotel  _ again _ later on. You have no idea how powerful he was, Vaggie! He had mind controlling abilities and the power potential to become a new Overlord if he’d continued! The only reason he didn’t straight away is because my dad  _ hired  _ him to do all this!”

“Wait, what?” Vaggie’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

“I know! I didn’t believe it at first when I heard it either, but I looked into it after Alastor told me about it.”

Vaggie frowned at the mention of Alastor.

“That’s horrible if it’s true, but this is  _Alastor_ you’re talking about! The infamous Radio Demon! He convinced you that killing that guy was okay, for fuck’s sake!”

Charlie vehemently shook her head.

“This isn’t about him, Vaggie! And he didn’t convince me of anything - I was the once who chose to in the end! I...I killed him with my own hands and I’ll own up to it because I’m not ashamed of doing that for the hotel!”

Unable to keep her composure any longer, Vaggie’s voice began to raise.

“Are you kidding me?! For the ‘hotel’? Charlie, you’re wrapped around his finger and completely delusional! You need to get away from him before you-!”

“NO!” Vaggie stared at her in shock.

“I’m not a child, Vaggie! Alastor might be devious, but he’s the only one who was there to comfort me at the end of the day! I know he’s not trustworthy, but he  _ helped  _ me when he didn’t have to! I’m not going on a massive killing spree because I like killing others, I did this  _ specifically  _ because he threatened the hotel! Does that mean I condone violence? No! I’ve just accepted that you can’t progress without never using force, because no one will listen to you! No one will care or respect you!”

Her chest heaving from the mouthful, Charlie breathed in before adding on a final sentence. 

“Even  _ you _ don’t respect me.”

“WHAT?! I  _ don’t respect  _ _you_?! I don’t respect your actions right now because you’re being an idiot, but you make it sound like I  _ never  _ have! I was the one by your side from the start, Charlie!”

Charlie’s face softened, her temper deflating.

“I know, Vaggie. I can’t thank you enough for that. Things have changed since then though…Back then, it felt really good to have someone so willing to protect me. But I can’t depend on you for that forever.” She gave Vaggie a small smile. “I have to fight my own battles and make my own choices and mistakes. I know you say what you do because you care...but I want to make my own choices.”

Vaggie’s anger faltered in the face of her sincerity. 

“Hon...It’s great that you want to become more independent, but this...this is madness! You don’t have to do this through  _ killing  _ someone of all things!”

“It’s my choice, even if it seems like madness to you, Vaggie.” She sucked in a nervous breath. “I don’t want to have to do this either, but I’m starting to realize more and more that I need to. I’m not strong enough right now to protect the hotel without some force, and I’ll never have the chance to get that strong if something happens to you all. I’m...okay with being a monster in your eyes if it means I can keep everyone safe, Vaggie.”

Vaggie’s hands clenched and unclenched uselessly by her side as she processed the words, not knowing how to respond. 

“Hon-.”

Charlie interrupted her.

“You...told me before that I was the reason you’ve done everything for the hotel. It’s selfish, but if that’s true, please, please understand, Vaggie. I love you. Please don’t think I don’t. I just...love the hotel too. Love everyone here. I can’t stand by and face problems as they come; I want to prevent them from ever happening. I dreamed and wished and hoped for this and I  _ won’t  _ let anyone take that away. That’s why…”

Vaggie’s heart beat painfully in her chest, a horrible sense of fear creeping up and squeezing at her. Charlie bit down on the inside of her mouth, eyes looking upwards as she struggled to stay composed. 

“That’s why I think we should...b-break up.”

For a moment, the world went oppressively silent around Vaggie, before it was back in all its jagged and painful clarity. 

“C-charlie.”

The princess let out a sniffle, swiping at her eyes furtively in a vain attempt to stop her tears. 

“W-why?” It was a loaded word, the moth’s voice breaking as she struggled to breathe past the weight growing in her chest.

“B-because...because you deserve better Vaggie!” No longer holding back, Vaggie’s heart ached with each tear spilling down Charlie’s sullen face, her eyes swimming with love and pain. “I-I haven’t been taking care of you at all! I’ve…I’ve been so selfish from the start without realizing it; the hotel was always my priority! Y-you cared for me and you were there for me, so I cared for you too, but I know you’d drop everything for me...and I...I  _ won’t . _ This, everyone, they...mean too much to me. That’s why, I’m trying to...t-to stop being so selfish for once!” 

Burying her face in her hands, Charlie cried. Vaggie’s mind begged her to walk over, embrace Charlie and reassure her that they’d find a way...but she felt numb. The words which she’d quietly feared all along pierced her heart, bleeding her dry of her ability to feel. Her eyes stung from the force of holding back her own tears.

Charlie hiccuped violently, her body trembling as she forced herself to face Vaggie again.

“I-I’d like to still s-stay f-friends because you’ve always been s-someone p-precious to me, b-but I-I d-don’t deserve y-your c-care like this when I can’t r-return i-it. I-I know y-you k-know it too.”

A tear forced its way down her face, Vaggie’s body shaking as she tried to hold in her sob. What came out was a pitiful whimper instead, a dreaded part of her sadly remarking that she had known, had thought about the unfairness of it all, but this isn’t what she wanted - never this, not truly  _ this .  _

Taking Vaggie’s silence as an assent, Charlie smiled through the tears, stepping closer to kiss Vaggie on the cheek. It felt bittersweet and painful in all its fragility and fleeting warmth, and Vaggie wanted to scream, to pray, to  _beg_ for her to come back.

“I l-love you, V-Vaggie. I a-always w-will.” 

The princess turned away, the soft patter of her shoes against the carpet deafening. Vaggie’s body forced her forward, her arms wrapping around Charlie in a loose but strong embrace. 

“I...l-love y-you too. Always.”

It was a fluttering, pointless whisper. The girl in her arms shook, her shoulders shaking with melancholy laughter. For a long, selfish moment, Charlie held her hands tightly in response, their palms sticky and wet from their tears. Then, like water, she slipped through Vaggie’s hold and walked away. The brightest star in her solar system faded away, and Vaggie was left feeling cold. 

  
The _ ‘I know.’  _ went unspoken.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew, that was one hell of a chapter to write up, but very much needed! Charlie finally took the first step forward and broke up with Vaggie after recognizing that their priorities and views with the hotel were too different and the two split off with a tearful goodbye... next chapter will involve diving into Vaggie's mind before we resume focus on Alastor and Charlie because hey, breakup's aren't easy to deal with
> 
> thank you all so much for the 168 kudos and 3.4k hits!! it means a lot that you guys take time out of your busy day to check out my little story haha <3 I'd also like to give special thanks to Peacetoworld, Yuyu_Mortis, Helindil, Arikenus, and TiaTia for their wonderful and supportive comments on the last chapter! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the alastor/Charlie interaction so much c:
> 
> with that, remember to stay safe and take care of yourselves everyone! have a great week! c:


	22. An Angel In Disguise

There was something funny about how life carried on, even when it felt like her whole world had crashed down around her. Vaggie still ate, still slept, and still did her duties for the hotel. It was different even as it was the same. 

She hated it.

Hated Charlie for letting things end the way they had, even as she loved her. Hated herself for being unable to be stronger; to not cry so...pathetically...despite the fact that several days had already passed by.

Still, more than anyone, she  _ hated _ Alastor.

No matter what Charlie said of his charitable actions, he was a scheming,  _ manipulative _ devil who should  _ never  _ have joined them, the hotel be damned! He was overtly patronizing and irritably smug without ever even saying a word.

Yet...he’d ended up by Charlie’s side in the end. Instead of her.

Burying her teary face into her pillow, Vaggie sighed.

_ ‘El cabrón…’ _

For the first time in a long while, Vaggie felt truly exhausted. Though hardly a drama queen, her breakup with Charlie had hurt deeply; agony-filled days she’d numbed through the blessed power of sleep. Sleep and sleep and more sleep so the painful thoughts couldn’t grow in her head and leave her mind full of thorns. Now, her body refused to sleep further, a restless energy built up inside which she was unsure of how to spend.

Traitorously, her first thought upon waking had been to go out somewhere with Charlie. It’d been a while since their last date, and the hotel was managing quite nicely. Wistful fantasies tugged at her heart left and right, the phantom of Charlie’s reassuring whispers in her ears. Truthfully, she’d known, somewhere deep underneath the warm haze of sleep, that it was fake, but she let herself indulge anyways. What else could she do? She felt so...alone.

Rolling over onto her back in the bed, Vaggie fixed the ceiling with a deadpan stare.

_ ‘I need to get out.’ _

  
  


Though she felt drained, Vaggie had never been the type to stew in her emotions for long before acting. They were different like that, Charlie and her. Shaking away the morose thought, she hauled herself up. Staying in the hotel like this wasn’t helping anything, and she didn’t want to be miserable alone. Didn’t want to reminisce over her memories with Charlie with the stain of melancholy, when they were filled with love. Standing from her bed, her eyes were drawn to the moonlight peeking in from the window, the centerpiece to Hell’s constant starry sky.

It had been a while since she’d been outside Hazbin Hotel.

* * *

Soon after leaving, she remembered exactly why she avoided the streets of Hell. 

Ducking behind a nearby mailbox, Vaggie could feel her patience dwindling at the fight ensuing before her, bullets scattering left and right and bouncing off of the nearby buildings. They both had god awful aim, and for a split second Vaggie entertained simply offing them both herself for the benefit of everyone. The clang of a bullet hitting the mailbox lead her to crouch down further, muttering swears under her breath.

Stupid Hell and its stupid sinners.

“Aaalright fellas, let’s break this up, shall we?”

A familiar voice interrupted her internal string of insults. Vaggie raised her brow, daring to peek over the edge. Sure enough, the familiar pink and white blur of fluff she knew as Angel Dust stood before the two demons, his multitude of arms brandishing his own guns. She wished she could say she was shocked.

“The fuck do you want, you whore?”

Angel rolled his eyes expertly before settling them with an unimpressed smile.

“The drugs, buttercup. Hand ‘em over.”

One of the demons laughed, slapping his knee as he gave the spider demon a smug smile.

“And what makes you think I’ll return ‘em, you sloppy dick guzzler?”

“This.” No sooner had the words left his mouth, Angel Dust shot his guns, the tidal wave of bullets quickly overtaking the scumbag demon until he collapsed on the ground, bleeding. Strolling over to his fallen body, Angel quickly retracted his arm with a small bag of angel dust. When the demon under him made a final attempt to grab him, Angel dug his heel down, causing the demon beneath to scream with pain. The spider rolled his eyes and spit in his face.

“For the record, I’d sooner choke on this gun than your limp dick, asswipe. You and your buddy here can’t aim for shit!”

He turned to face the other demon then, nonchalantly raising one of his free hands and daring him to try his patience. Taking a look at the demon slowly dying in pain below the spider’s feet, he quickly took off running.

“Fucking pussy.”

Gingerly hopping off of the demon he’d killed, Angel Dust dusted off his suit, frowning at the blood stains. Then he caught Vaggie’s eye. Muttering a curse, the moth squished herself back down against the mailbox, praying he’d shrug it off.

Of course, her prayers weren’t answered. 

“Hey honey, it’s not nice to peep. I don’t give shows for free ya’kno-Wait. Vaggie? The fuck?” Cringing, Vaggie opened her eyes to see Angel staring down upon her with bewilderment. 

His eyes narrowed in confusion, darting between her crouched form and the mailbox. 

“So…why the fuck are ya crouched behind this thing like some scared little kid?”

Humiliation flushed her face a deep red and she quickly stood, straightening her spine as she let out a cough to clear her nerves.

“I got caught in the crossfire and I didn’t exactly wanna risk  _ dying _ _._ ”

Angel shrugged with his second pair of arms, his nails clacking against the guns he held with his other pairs.

“I don’t get why you get your taco in a twist over this shit. ‘S not like ya die for real.” Noticing her expression darken, he quickly held up his hands in nonchalance. “Alright, alright, chill. Seriously though, since when did resident Mrs. Hermit go into town? I can count on my hand the amount of times I’ve seen ya out!”

Vaggie’s anger immediately disappeared, leaving her looking and feeling drained. 

  
  


“Charlie and I broke up.”

Angel’s eyes widened in shock, his hands flailing around him animatedly.

“What?! You love birds?? What the heck happened?”

Vaggie scoffed.

“You know what happened. She disappeared in the early hours of the morning and came back  _ drenched  _ in the blood of some guy she’d killed!”

His eyes bugged out of his skull.

“Woah, woah, WHAT?!”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t know, Angel!”

“How the fuck was I supposed to know? I’ve been over at Cherri’s and helping her out with some pests for like a week now!”

In retrospect, she realized he _ was _ right; no wonder there’d been no complaints from the residents about his sexual advances recently. His musings broke her out of her thoughts.

“So Toots really killed someone huh? I always thought she was a goody-two-shoes like you; nice to know she’s got some spark!”

Vaggie glowered at his statement.

“Well that little ‘spark’ is what led us to break up! That bastard Alastor convinced her that seeking out and  _ permanently  _ killing this mob leader that attacked us was a good idea!”

“Big Bad Radio Daddy, huh? Yeah, it’d be him alright. Fucking tease. I don’t see the problem though, especially if he helped her fuck him up for good. Dude sounded like an ass anyways and it’s about time Charlie learned to kill some pricks.”

Vaggie blanched at his words. For a moment, she’d forgotten she was talking to a walking cocktail of questionable morals, sex, and drugs.

“ _ You _ would say that.” Her tone portrayed nothing but bitterness, feeling even more alone and out of place with her unpopular opinion. 

Angel Dust studied her, unimpressed. Though he was no shrink, he could easily read past her sharp shield of anger and see the sad loneliness inside. He was no stranger to feeling helplessness when it came to working under Valentino. Brushing away the brief shiver which went down his spine at that thought, he reached out his hands.

“Look...I’m no therapist, but I can tell this whole thing is weighin’ ya down. Cherri’s helped me out of a lotta tough spots, so she might be able to whip you back into shape too. You can stay with us for a few days while ya recover. Deal?”

His offer was almost as unexpected as the concern flashing past his magenta eyes. Regret washed over her for having snapped at Angel earlier. It wasn’t often that he was overtly this kind…Forcing back her hesitation, Vaggie held herself tall as she set her terms.

“Yeah...I refuse to drink or get involved in any turf war or other bullshit though.”

Angel Dust rolled his eyes, surging forward to take her hand with a smile.

“Yeah yeah, whatever ya say, buzzkill! More for me!~.”

Vaggie scoffed despite herself.

“Weren’t you supposed to be going clean for a while?”

“Vaggie, who do ya take me for?! I said for a while, not fucking  _ forever.” _

A movement interrupted their friendly bickering and the two turned to find pieces of the fallen demon’s body reattaching themselves as he began to return to life. Vaggie’s eye met Angel’s.

“We should probably run.”

“Eh. Try to keep up, cyclops!”

“Jodido imbécil! I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING YOU PRICK!”

His infuriating laughter was the only response she received as she ran after him, a small smile forming on her face even as she prepared to pummel his sorry ass as soon as she caught up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone, hope you've all had a great week and had either a lovely thanksgiving or a lovely thursday! today's chapter made good on the "Angel being a good friend tag", because hey, breakups are tough and what better way to help vaggie take her mind off things than with the only person who riles her up just as much as alastor! c:
> 
> that aside, thank you all so much for the 3.7k hits and the 178 kudos!! you lovelies always amaze me with your interest in my story, so thank you again and I hope you're all well! I'd also like to give special thanks to Helindil, Yuyu_Mortis, and TiaTia for their engaging comments in the last chapter! im glad you guys could sympathize :b
> 
> next chapter we'll be back with more wholesome charlastor and alastor being soft c: take care till then!


	23. A Soulful Source Of Comfort

Nodding off for the third time while going through hotel paperwork, Charlie let out a quiet groan and buried her face in her palms, willing the coolness of her fingers to soothe her burning eyes.

Sleep hadn’t come easily to her since she’d broken up with Vaggie. Whereas before her mind had been full of nothing but exhaustion from that day’s training, or the anxiety of everyone’s reactions and safety, now she could only recall the phantoms of warm nights in her past lover’s arms. Gentle caresses and sweet kisses that were once laid on her face with a voice of velvety fondness replaced with only her lacking covers and an empty space in her bed which she could never hope to fill no matter how she contorted her body. It was pure torture for someone as tactile and physically affectionate as Charlie, though she knew it was self-induced and better this way. A yawn escaped past her lips.

“Charlie? Are you alright, my dear?” Springing up in her seat, Charlie was shocked to find Alastor standing before her, a stack of papers deftly balanced in his hands as he watched her with a mixture of amusement and concern. Charlie relaxed, massaging her tired eyes.

“Sorry Al, I didn’t hear you come in. Are those the therapy feedback forms? I’ll take care of them as soon as I finish reading through their self-assessments.”

She was a sight for sore eyes, the yawn following her statement only accentuating her exhaustion. Alastor narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. It seemed she wasn’t adjusting quite well to the breakup yet, so he supposed he’d hold off on his plans for the time being. Fighting in such a state would only leave her vulnerable. 

“They are indeed, though your struggle to stay awake strikes me as a much more pertinent issue. You can’t possibly get through these all in one day in your state, my dear! What’s troubling you?”

Flustering under his gaze, Charlie tugged at her hair, her paperwork all but forgotten even as her eyes bore into her desk out of shyness. 

“W-well it’s kinda d-dumb...I d-don’t think you’d really u-understand…”

Alastor persisted, stepping closer until he was right in front of her desk. 

“Humor me, my dear.” 

Charlie swallowed thickly, her eyes darting up the Radio Demon’s slim body to meet Alastor’s gorgeous magenta ones. Feeling the blood rush to her face even more, Charlie was sure she looked as red as an apple. Still, she couldn’t help but give in to his demanding gaze.

“I uh...miss...being able to...touch someone I guess…”

Alastor’s brow furrowed.

“You do “touch people” though, my dear. You gave Niffty a hug just this morning!”

Fiddling with her fingers, Charlie grew silent with embarrassment at the prospect of explaining what she meant. Alastor reached across, his claws resting lightly on top of hers - a small sense of comfort as much as it was encouraging her to speak.

“N-not quite that...just...I miss being affectionate with someone and...having them be affectionate with me too...stuff like hugs, cuddles...y’know…”

The Radio Demon gave a soft hum of acknowledgement, understanding clicking into place. Alastor was by no means a tactile person unless he was animated, and even then he was extremely cautious of who he allowed to touch him. Mimzy had been an exception for a time, though he’d eventually lost his patience with her clinginess and desire to be glued to his hip everywhere he went. 

Still, perhaps he could use what he’d learned then to ease Charlie’s nerves...

His grip over her hand tightened. Charlie glanced up at him quizzically.

“Would you like to try that with me, my dear?”

The princess’s jaw dropped open in surprise. 

_ ‘Did...did the Radio Demon himself just offer to...?’ _

She was shocked to say the least. Though Alastor had invaded her space multiple times before and even twirled her around in the night sky - a memory which she still recalled with a fond smile -, this was  _ unusual _ . Thinking back, Alastor had only really reached out to her physically when he was trying to convince her of something. Now, she was unsure what to make of the lack of his intoxicatingly saccharine words. He seemed to be just...offering to help her for the sake of it...

His hand was large, far larger than hers as it gripped her hand, and she found herself greedily taking in its warmth. Would it be selfish to take his offer and indulge herself after her breakup? She bit her lip nervously, a warm rush of blood traveling down her body when his keen gaze flicked to it before looking into her eyes again. They were so beautiful...like fluorescent azaleas blooming in a spring meant just for her...

Sucking in a breath, she nodded.

“I’d...really like that, Al. Thank you.”

Smile widening at her breathless admission, he tightened his grip, urging her to stand.

“Fantastic! Though as I interrupted you mid-work, we should move to my office to continue...I’m afraid yours is quite cramped for attempting anything, my dear.”

Rosy flush on her cheeks, Charlie nodded again and quickly gathered her paperwork, now feeling more alert than ever. Speedy breaths escaped her lips as she willed herself to calm down while they made the short trek to Alastor’s own office. Compared to her modest one, it seemed fit for a king with its rich mahogany frame and red inscriptions detailing a language she couldn’t hope to decipher beyond the cursive in the middle with his name. 

_ ‘Alastor.’  _ It read, simple, elegant and fear-inspiring all at once.

With a snap of his finger, the door swung open, revealing a dimly lit room with a velvety red carpet and intricately patterned brown walls. An assortment of animal heads decorated each side, ranging from small to big, but always with a deer head as the centerpiece. Antlers sticking out from the wall served as mini coat rack, while even more accentuated the outline of his massive desk and the tops of the plush leather chair he sat in.

Alastor moved about the room naturally, a graceful ballerina in his small home away from home. Shedding his suit jacket, he snapped his fingers, all sorts of odd knick-knacks clearing away from his desk to make space for their papers. Beckoning Charlie forward, he eased the papers from her hands and settled in his chair. He looked every bit devilish and handsome then, regarding her with a small smile while she took in the room.

“Enjoying the decor?”

Charlie startled, whipping back to face Alastor’s amused expression.

“Y-yeah! It all looks so... _ expensive _ ...”

Detecting the hint of envy between her awe, Alastor chuckled.

“I’m no frivolous spender, my dear, I assure you. I caught and made these all myself.”

Charlie’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Woah, really? I didn’t know you hunted this much.”

“I enjoy a fair bit of game just like any gentlemen.” He shrugged, maintaining his pleasant smile.

Curiosity dwindling for the time being, Charlie peeked at Alastor, unsure of what to do even as her body ached for contact.

“Charlie.” His voice was her tether to reality. “Come.”

  
  


Compelled forward by his command, she walked around the desk to join him, feeling both eager and shy as he opened his arms and motioned her forward. Oddly enough it reminded her of a similar memory with her father while he’d kept her younger self in his lap and taught her of his duties. Shaking away the thought, she gingerly sat in his lap, immediately overwhelmed by the heat he radiated.

Previously outstretched, his arms closed around her in a firm embrace. She felt... unimaginably warm and  _ safe _ , as though she were wrapped up in a plush winter coat. A salve to her exhausted body, she melted against him, willing away any of her shame to cuddle into his chest. Her arms looped around his lithe body and Charlie nearly let out an embarrassing noise, barely catching herself and letting out a small sigh of contentment instead. Cinnamon tickled her senses and she tucked herself further into his neck, breathing in his musk.

Alastor, for his part, merely watched her settle herself comfortably with amusement. He severely underestimated how touch-deprived she’d been, though he was hardly complaining. Her proximity and open vulnerability lit something warm inside him, something...dare he say,  _ fond _ . Peculiar, but not unpleasant. A shiver traveled up his spine when she nuzzled against the sensitive flesh of his neck. To think any other demon would jump at the opportunity to slit his throat with their teeth, yet the princess in front of him was simply content to stay close.

Tightening his embrace, he pulled her closer, laughter rumbling in his chest. Charlie looked up at him drowsily and his heart traitorously ached at her disheveled state. It clawed at him from inside, and he gave in, planting a soft kiss against her forehead. Whining, she buried her face in his chest again, tickling him as she muttered incomprehensible words. Contentment enveloped him. Perhaps he’d missed this intimacy in some sense too.

A tug demanded his attention, and he glanced down to see her fumbling to reach his chin. Perplexed, he complied and was rewarded with a small kiss to his jaw. Blood rushed through him, the touch stirring up his beloved memories of her covered in viscera that night. He let out a pathetically soft sigh and rested his chin on the top of her head. Bold fingers trekked their way up along his neck and he tensed, suddenly alert for danger. And dangerous she was indeed as Charlie threaded through his hair, the pads of her fingers providing a gentle massage against his scalp. Relaxing, he allowed her to continue her ministrations, giving her a small squeeze when quiet giggles escaped her.

Time seemed to stop for a while as they were caught in each other’s warmth. Eventually, her fingers paused against him and he opened his eyes to find her asleep, her chest falling and rising against his own as she slept. Raking his claws gently through her hair, he swerved the chair to face the desk, carefully cradling her to him as his attention turned to the paperwork before them.

While matters related to the hotel residents were Charlie’s business, he accepted his fate to sift through the long pile. She’d responded extremely well to his touch, as she always had. He’d have to see to it that he encouraged it more, as he was eager for her to recover in high spirits so he could introduce their next target. His charming demon belle would be quite horrified, and he couldn’t wait to see her tear them apart with him. Still, there were issues to address before then like the papers before him.

Feeling her shift in his arms, he smiled down at her angelic form. Laying a kiss on her golden halo of hair, he had to admit that this was also worth the delay. 

“Sweet dreams, my darling.”   
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well hello ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between! we've almost reached the end of yet another week so I hope you've all been doing alright :D as promised, today's chapter involved some cute interactions between our favorite couple which will be continued in the next chapter as well! these are some of my favorite parts to write haha c:
> 
> that aside, thank you all very much for the 4k hits and 185 kudos!! your support always puts a smile to my face <3 id also like to give special thanks to Helindil, uwu4uwu and TiaTia for their comments on the last chapter! you guys are taking time out of your day to verbalize your support for this story and I can't thank you enough for that <3 y'all are amazing!
> 
> tune in next week for more soft interactions between Charlie/Alastor and stay safe till then! :D


	24. Tender Awakening

Waking up was horrible. It was horrible and it tugged on Charlie insistently, even though she’d never felt so comfortable in her life. Letting out a soft groan, she buried herself in the warm pillow beneath her, grumbling when it began moving.

_ ‘Wait...moving??’ _

Blurrily hoisting herself up on her elbows, Charlie found herself to be resting on top of Alastor’s sleeping form, the Radio Demon’s breath gracing her face with each exhale. Her entire body suddenly felt extremely conscious of each place their bodies touched, the warmth between them pleasant and tangible even through their clothing. Blushing, Charlie wracked her mind for how they’d ended up together on the couch - the last thing she remembered was feeling Alastor’s soft hair...

Head falling forward, Charlie let out a small groan of embarrassment, unable to believe she’d actually touched him so boldly. Granted, Alastor had offered and accepted her touch, so it wasn’t  _entirely_ her fault. Still, it didn’t help her current predicament. She wasn’t sure he’d be quite as charitable if he woke up to her actually  _ on top of him _ . Holding herself up with her arms, she gingerly raised her hips. As though his arms were motion sensors, Alastor’s hold instantly tightened around her waist, and she flopped back onto his chest with an ungraceful squeak. Feeling his chest rumble beneath her, she looked up into his magenta eyes staring back at her with amusement.

“Leaving so soon, my dear? And you looked so comfortable...”

Her embarrassed squeak had Alastor laughing in earnest, Charlie flustering even further and scrambling to get off.

“A-Al! You scared the bejesus out of me! I-I’m so s-sorry for this..”

He merely smiled, stilling Charlie’s attempts to move by tracing his claws up her spine and grasping her hands. The azalea’s in his eyes seemed to bloom brightly at her and she couldn’t help but stare back, entranced.

“Don’t be, I was rather enjoying myself! The terror on your face when you woke up was hilarious!”

Charlie gasped, raising herself up to fix Alastor with an offended look.

“You were awake the whole time?!”

He gave her a shit-eating grin, eyes closing as he relaxed against the couch.

“I’m a light sleeper, sweetheart. I woke as soon as I sensed you moving.”

Grumbling, she allowed herself to settle back into Alastor’s chest. Unexpected as his charity in this situation was, Charlie was hardly the type to reject cuddles, especially since Vaggie had been gone.

_ ‘ Vaggie...I wonder if she’s okay...Angel texted me that she’d be out with him for a bit...I guess she’ll keep him out of some trouble if nothing else...’ _

Sighing quietly, Charlie’s mind turned to another bothersome thought. Confronting Vaggie had cleared a considerable amount of weight off her chest, but she had yet to properly talk to her residents. Thanks to Alastor, their curiosity and stares had been more manageable. Still, she desired to clear the air and confirm once and for all whether her actions had truly influenced them for the worst as Vaggie had suggested. A kind caress against her face drew Charlie out of her thoughts.

“Something on your mind again, dearest?”

Melting into the warmth of his palm and his soothing voice, Charlie nodded.

“I’m just...worried about everyone I guess. You’ve seen how they stare at me...I know Niffty and Husk don’t mind and they treat me normally, but I still feel uncomfortable not addressing it officially, I guess....”

Alastor pinched her cheek, causing Charlie to pout as he thought over her answer.

“Seeing as it’s confounding you so, that sounds like a splendid idea! Go for it, my dear.”

Sensing this was her queue to get off, Charlie’s pout deepened even as she complied. The Radio Demon smiled amusedly at her clear disappointment.

“Don’t give me that look now, Charlie. I simply don’t want you to be otherwise troubled when we go out tonight!”

Charlie nearly fell back onto him, whipping around to stare at Alastor as he stretched, casually laying on the couch.

“Go out? Go out where?”

Her excitement was positively adorable, the princess bouncing on the heels of her feet. He smiled mischievously as he stood himself, swinging his arms out for emphasis.

“Why, un Carnaval, ma chérie! You’ve been feeling terribly drab as of late and it’s just the place to liven you up!”

Clapping her hands in excitement, Charlie squealed. It’d been so long since she’d been to one! Her only memory of a carnival had been going with her father when she was young, before he’d been inspired to create his own theme park - Loo-Loo World. Alastor laughed at her unabashed display of joy as he straightened his rumpled shirt.

“Oh Alastor, thank you so, so much! I can’t wait until we can go! When are we going?? What time?” 

Amused by her stumbling, Alastor shook his head and gently veered her towards the door.

“Fret not, Charlie! I shall provide you with the appropriate clothes and alert you when it’s time. Be patient ‘till then, my sweet.”

Locks bouncing with each bob of her head, Charlie eagerly nodded and ran out the room feeling refreshed. Alastor stared after the closed door, shaking his head in fond amusement as he prepared to change. 

He’d gone no further than loosening one button when she charged in again, a blur as she raced her way to him and tugged at his tie, demanding him to come closer. Letting out a small sigh, he obliged her and turned his cheek, only to be flabbergasted when she left a chaste kiss right on his lips. Smacking his claws over his lips, he felt scandalized as she gave him a self-satisfied grin.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long, _ Al _ _._ ”

Then she was gone as soon as she’d returned. Bewildered, he shook his head, wondering what his mother would think if she were still around to witness such scandal. 

_ ‘The nerve of this woman!’ _

Still, the warmth of her lips hadn’t been unwelcome, if entirely too brief, and he was left smiling widely.

“You have no idea the surprises which await you, my dear.” He chuckled, a sly smirk ghosting across his face as he continued fixing himself up.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone and welcome to the end of yet another sinfully sweet chapter! next time we'll see Charlie tying up the last few threads of doubt she has about her actions before heading straight into the Carnival! what could alastor be planning now?
> 
> that aside, thank you all so much for the 196 kudos and 4.3k hits!! you all are a blessing <33 the support on the last chapter was absolutely out of this world, and I'm so happy you all enjoyed it!! Special thanks to Yuyu_Mortis, uwu4uwu, Helindil, Arikenus, Izuocha_Love, Daruvael, insecurityintensifies, and TiaTia for all of your wonderful comments! seeing you guys enjoy the chapter so much made me day haha <3
> 
> with that, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day, and ill cya for the next chapter c:


	25. A Final Consolation

Oftentimes, Charlie found that many things were easier said than done. This was one of those times. Without Alastor as a silent source of support, nervousness still whizzed through her veins, causing her hands to tremble as she waited for an opportunity to talk with everyone. 

Thus far, the usual therapy and exercise session had gone well, the patients more invested in how they would spend their free time or their own activities as opposed to her. Sucking in a breath, Charlie felt much like a teacher about to hold everyone after class as she walked to the center of the room and loudly cleared her throat. Anxiety bubbled in her stomach as their attention turned to her.

“H-hey everyone! I...have something I’d like to talk about with you all after this, so please meet me in the hotel lobby!”

Despite her stuttering, Charlie felt relief wash over her at their lack of outrage or mockery. The whispers and inquisitive glances they exchanged were far more manageable than the usual treatment she received when speaking to the majority of the demon population. In preparation of the upcoming talk, she made a quick trip to the bathroom, splashing water onto her flushed face to cool herself down. Eyes the color of blackberry stared back at her in the mirror as she gave herself an encouraging smile and fist-pumped.

_ ‘You can do this, Charlie!’ _

* * *

Standing in front of the small group which had congregated in the hotel lobby, the princess squared her shoulders and straightened her spine, willing herself to emanate confidence even if threads of nervousness still tugged at her heart.

“Hi! Thanks so much for gathering here, everyone. I know recently there’s been a lot of shocking stuff happening with the hotel and getting attacked twice within the span of a few weeks, so thank you all for working with us! I uh, wanted to talk about last time… You guys were understandably shocked when I came in that day all covered in blood. I wanna make it really clear to you all that I don’t condone violence! I-I realize that makes me sound like a bit of a hypocrite, but I only killed him since he was the leader of the mob that attacked us last time.”

Charlie paused, taking a moment to breathe before continuing, her eyes growing watery. 

“We may not know each other well, but you guys mean so, so much to me. You’re the reason this hotel is able to be run and I want to make sure that each and everyone of you are safe to try your best and seek redemption. I’m sorry if what I did then was discouraging to you guys or made you feel otherwise bad, since I know we’ve been encouraging you all to find better outlets than violence.”

For a long moment, the room was silent after she’d finished her speech. Charlie’s nervous smile began to falter around the edges. 

“Ya gotta do what you gotta do protect yaself, honey. Ma mama bit the bullet fo’ not respectin’ that with me. Course now I’m tryna start a new life and all that jazz, an’ without this place that’d be a fantasy.” 

A nasally voice broke the oppressing silence, one of her residents stepping forward with a nonchalant shrug. Charlie recognized her as Jenette Blane, a young woman who was looking for a chance at freedom after murdering her severely abusive mother who’d forced her to pretend to be mentally and physically disabled for money and attention. Truthfully, her story had left Charlie with nightmares for days, as Jen had spared no details with the horrific life she’d had to escape. It was humbling to think she found the hotel to be a safe place for the start of her new life, and Charlie graced her with a thankful smile.

Another demon cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as the attention turned towards him.

“Man, I’m gonna sound like such a fucking sap but like...that was honestly  _ pretty _ deep. Like, not gonna lie, I kinda joined this schtick cause...I wanted to clear away the guilt y’know? I uh, fucked up big time. Landed down here cause I was slacking on my job and the building collapsed with everyone in it, ‘nd I got caught by the explosive debris and fire afterwards. My buddy Nou can vouch for the scars I got from that shit cause I showed him. I never really gave a fuck until it was too late, so it’s...pretty inspiring to see that you give so much of a shit. Makes me wanna do better I guess, cause it’s so... _ inspirin’  _ y’know?”

Cheeks hurting from how hard she was smiling, Charlie beamed at Feu Tuhr, barely restraining herself from hugging the demon in front of her. Seeing her happiness, the past firefighter flustered, slouching into himself as he muttered incomprehensibly. 

Slapping Feu on the shoulder, yet another one of her residents stepped forward. Unlike the others, he was especially bold, sizing up the princess in front of them without hesitation. Charlie smiled nervously.

“Did you have something to add, Nou Vie?”

The demon scoffed. His habits reminded her of Vaggie sometimes, something she now thought of with a painful twinge to her heart even as she remained smiling on the outside. Rebellion seemed to underlie everything he did, as though he were constantly angry and at war with himself. Still, she’d been swayed by his story in the end. A demon from a rich family like hers, his life in the Overworld had been anything but paradise after his step-father died. Greed won over his mother’s heart, leading to abuse ridden days while she struggled to maintain hold of her position as head of their company. The final straw had been when he found out his grandmother had known about the abuse and remained a bystander to the entire situation, unwilling to endanger her daughter regardless of how she treated her son. He’d snapped then, driven by anger to hurt them until he’d ended up with his blood on their hands. Now, he stood before her, defiantly holding his silence for a while longer until finally speaking.

“My gramma was a real bitch. Too scared to do anything herself so she just let me get fucked over.”

A pause followed, his fists clenching with hatred before he squared his gaze.

“You kinda reminded me of her at first, y’know. She’d always be spouting on about how I’d be ‘saved’ only if I was a ‘better boy’. Some fuckin’ bullshit!”

Startling the small crowd with his enraged shout, he took in a breath and sighed, glancing at Charlie earnestly. 

“You...actually saved my life though. All of our lives, like twice. Do whatever you gotta do, Miss Charlie. You got my respect already.”

Small claps broke out from the rest of the crowd, causing him to begrudgingly smile. Charlie eagerly returned it, her eyes tearing up from how supportive they’d all been.

“Aw, you guys! Thank you so muchh! I-I was really scared you guys would think the worst - I’m so glad you’re so understanding! Group Hug?!”

Their smiles disappeared.

“Don’t push it, lady.”

Laughing, Charlie acquiesced and dismissed the small group to disband.

A small tug caught her attention. Noticing the small demon girl in front of her, she crouched down to her height. Considerably younger than the rest of her residents, Ami Cyde Sulli was far more reserved than the other patients she’d worked with, with a history of being suicidal. Wetting her lips, the small demon began to speak.

“I...came from a family of assassins. Papa...papa was scary. He told me he’d kick me out if I didn’t.” Her voice hitched. “I did it...I watched them kill so many...but I couldn’t do it, so they said I was broken. Said I didn’t deserve to live.” Shivering, her sad eyes looked up into Charlie’s own teary ones.

“I don’t know how I died, Miss Charlie. I just wish I could go back. Go back and tell myself ‘you don’t have to push yourself like this for their approval - you’re better than them’. I wish I could go back and apologize to every single one of those victims for being so weak that I'd block out the screams in my head with theirs. But...I can’t. So I’d at least like to get better, do better, even if I can't have their forgiveness.”

Embracing the crying demon, Charlie bit her lip, willing herself to hold back her tears. Her gratitude hit the princess especially painfully, given how Ami’s situation could’ve easily reflected her own. Drawing back, she wiped away the demon’s tears.

“...Thank you, Ami. I promise that as long as you’re here, you’ll be safe to do that. All of you. We’ll-We’ll all get better, with enough work. So...please smile, okay? A good friend of mine taught me you’re not fully dressed without one.”

Giving Charlie a watery smile, the small demon nodded, swiping at her eyes before scampering out of her arms to join the rest of the group. Her heart felt warm as she watched how the others seemed to form a protective circle around their silent companion, the group settling to play a game of cards after being challenged by Husk. 

They were...a family, in their own little way. 

Sniffling at the sweet sentiment, Charlie wiped the tears from her eyes. Turning around, she caught sight of Vaggie heading up the stairwell. It seemed the moth had overheard their conversation, and though she wore a frown, she gave Charlie a brief nod before continuing her way up, the confetti in her hair falling onto the rich carpet below.

It was reassuring, in its own way. She seemed to have accepted what had happened, even if she didn’t seem happy with it. Still, Charlie was grateful.

“Fucking rude bitch, I said WAIT FOR ME!”   
  


Angel’s loud screaming disrupted the quiet calm that had enveloped the lobby, startling Charlie from her feelings of gratefulness. 

“Hey Angel, welcome back!”

“Sup. What’s with the heavy atmosphere in here? It’s like someone had a fucking funeral.”

Snorting at his comment, Charlie shook her head and gave him a small smile.

“Nothing like that, I promise! Just...some awesome sharing and reassurance I guess.”

He piqued his brow in feigned interest before shrugging.

“Sounds boring as all sin. Nice to see you happy though. Call me when dinner’s ready - I got my baby Nugz to take care of.”

Giggling at his antics, Charlie waved him off. She let everything that had happened wash over her, smiling brightly. More than ever, she felt determined to protect this small oddball of a family they’d formed.

“Charlie, Charlie!”

Glancing down, she smiled at the adorably energetic demon before her.

“Hiya Niffty! What’s up?”

“Master Al’s got me to prepare a dress for you! Go try it on - it’s so pretty!!”

No longer plagued with doubt, excitement bubbled through her as she swiftly thanked Niffty and raced to her room.

_ ‘I can’t wait for tonight!’ _   
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! thank you all for your patience with this chapter - I had some trouble getting it up so you'll be seeing it update later than usual. today's chapter was to once and for all seal off Charlie's complex feelings towards her committing the kill. I've continuously circled back around to this issue in between her having her moments with alastor to emphasize just how heavily it weighs on the mind of someone like Charlie, and how it genuinely conflicted with her morals, up until she was assured it was fine, since Charlie is still Charlie at the end of the day. So, this chapter introduced some characters who served the purpose of just that!
> 
> Jenette Blane was inspired by the real case of Gypsy Blanchard (which I encourage you to look into if you're unaware, though be warned it's not light-hearted) and served the purpose of paralleling Charlie's own situation to an extent, since Charlie's actions were also limited by her parents even as she sought freedom. Feu represented what Charlie had always wanted to cause in others, her ultimate goal - to inspire them to be better versions of themselves. Nou, aside from reminding her of Vaggie, served as proof to Charlie persistence is the way to push these demons to get better, even if not everyone agrees with her views. Finally, Ami; a child who so deeply reminds Charlie of herself and has suffered because she didn't act, because she didn't step forward to save others with unconventional or morally questionable methods, regardless of what others thought. Together, they are everything that Charlie needed to quell the last of her doubts. 
> 
> With that long long rant over, thank you all so much for 4.7k+ hits and the 211 kudos!! next chapter we'll be diving right back into some sweet sweet moments between Alastor and Charlie, as well as some...bloodshed... hope to see you then! special thanks to Arikenus, Rosario17, Daruvael, and Helindil for their lovely comments on the past chapter!! Thank you all for enjoying it so much <3


	26. The Night of The Carnival

Fiddling with the feathers of her golden headdress, Charlie let out a smile, appraising herself in the mirror one last time. A thick golden necklace hung around her neck, the tiny gems embedded in it sparkling with each turn of her head. Her shoulder pads, outlined by the same glimmering gold, boasted various hues of magenta which merged together to create the symbol of Alastor’s microphone - an endearing touch as far as Charlie was concerned. 

Making up for the heavy accessories was a simple black crop top, red flowers jauntily patterned along it to add a sense of festivity. Around her waist was yet another golden and jewel embedded plate, protecting her soft stomach bar from a small slip which peeked out towards her hips. Swaying side to side, she giggled as the glitter dotting her waist sparkled, the feathery skirt she wore ruffling about in a red whirlwind with gentle pink tips. Below her knees, gold once more accentuated the curve of her calf and the festive red flowers decorating the inky span of her boots. 

An amalgamation of gold, pink and red, Charlie felt like an exotic flower amidst the modest colors of her room. A polite knock caught the attention of her keen ears, and she rushed to open the door, eager to finally leave. 

Tightly grasping the doorknob and throwing the door open, Charlie…

...was disappointed to find that no one was there. Feeling unfairly gutted, she glanced left then right, as though Alastor would suddenly pop out from the shadows. Finally, she glanced down to find a cream-colored envelope in front of her. In a blood red cursive font, it simply read _‘Alastor’_.

Gingerly ripping open the letter, Charlie began to read.

_‘My Dearest Charlie,_

_Do excuse my manners for not accompanying you to the carnival. I have left a gift for you in my stead, a pendant to lead you to me should you find need for my company or aid. With it, you shall find me and your surprise. It will be one of the many you shall encounter tonight, ma chérie._

_Yours Truly,_

_Alastor’_

Setting aside the letter on her bed, Charlie slipped her fingers into the envelope until they clasped around a cool and oval pendant with a silver chain following behind. In true Alastor fashion, the pendant’s design was his signature microphone, and she swore she could hear the sound of faint music drifting in and out if she held it close enough. Slipping the pendant over her head, Charlie clasped it tightly and made a simple wish.   
  


_‘Take me to Alastor.’_

For a moment, nothing happened, and she felt foolish for ever thinking something so childish would work. Then, the sound of radio static was deafening, swallowing her scream as she found herself jolted through a frequency before being shot out on the other side. Stumbling, Charlie leaned against the wall to catch her breath, the sound of drums and cheery music slowly fading in. Dusting off her dress, she found herself to be in the back of an overwhelmingly large crowd, cheering and drunk with excitement. Pushing her way through, vivid colors graced her vision in brief specks until she made it through to the front. 

Her breath left her. 

Fireworks boomed in the eternal Hell Night like miniature supernovas, the crowd chanting wildly with excitement as hundreds upon hundreds of demons danced by, scantily clad as they danced in an explosion of constantly overlapping color. Her eyes darted from one to the next, her mouth aching from her smile as she struggled to take it all in.

Ignorant to the stares and double-glances she received, Charlie flinched when a dark crimson gloved claw wove itself around her neck. Paralyzed by shock, she stood helplessly as a sharp chin rested itself on her shoulder, a feathered headdress lightly digging into the back of her head. 

“Bienvenue, ma chérie~!”

A gasp escaped her lips at the sultry voice and she spun around to face Alastor. He was a proud lion amidst the crowd, drawing forth both fear and admiration. Gold draped down across his collarbone like a waterfall, teasing hints of his ivory skin. His vest was a deep carmine brought to life by haphazard lines and lapels the color of magenta, brought together by a rose colored brooch with a golden center. Similarly, carmine and rose also accentuated his shoulders in the form of feathers, their tips tinted a murky brown. Burgundy ribbon weaved about his exposed arms like a snake, coiling around his arms in lieu of his typical gloves. Revealing the barest bit of his stomach, amaranth pants snuggly fit around his hips, a comfortable yet fitting splash of color offset by his simple dark brown shoes. Finally, a plume of feathers made up the crown-like headdress atop his head, the symbol of his microphone in the middle like a third eye, unblinking and all-seeing. 

He was, in short, breathtaking. 

Noticing her awed silence, he reared his head back in amused laughter, his adam’s apple dancing temptingly in front of her with each chuckle. Charlie wet her mouth, suddenly in desperate need of a drink.

Calming, Alastor locked eyes with her once more, his eyes traveling down across her outfit as he stepped back and offered his hand.

“Care to dance, Charlie?”

Eyes darting between the lively parade behind them and Alastor’s intense gaze, Charlie’s heart fluttered nervously in her chest.

“I-I don’t know how to dance like _that_.” She admitted shyly, tilting her head to the mass of bodies dancing.

“I’ll teach you.” With that simple response, he grasped her hand and they joined the crowd.

* * *

At first crowded, the pair quickly gained ample space when the other demons caught sight of Alastor, though Charlie barely noticed as she was focused on him. 

Sashaying his body back and forth rhythmically, Alastor gracefully flicked his hands this way and that in tandem to his movements. It felt as though he were casting a spell around her, beckoning her to twirl and move along with him. Allowing her body to move in time to the cheerful music around them, Charlie let herself be guided by instinct. 

With graceful arcs of her arms, she shook her shoulders and hips teasingly, letting herself sway closer, always in motion and just out of reach. His gaze was entrancing as he swirled, his legs tapping left and then right before crossing over each other and then settling in line with his body once more. Spinning herself closer, Charlie felt a spark run through her when Alastor’s hand briefly caressed her back before he turned to hold her with his other hand, side by side as they spun to let each other splay out their arms and legs. Closing in, he now spun her to face him, gliding his body left and right playfully in front of her. 

Charlie felt as though she was in the grasp of a python with Alastor’s serpentine moves, intoxicated by the brief flashes of his exposed skin and the heat of his body mingling with her own. Though they were dressed comparatively modestly to the rest of the crowd around them, Alastor’s claws were sly, slipping underneath the gold and fabric covering her to tease the skin underneath until Charlie felt like she was ready to combust. With her cheeks flushed a deep rosy red, each of her breaths came off as short and breathless gasps as she was held prisoner by his gaze.

A whirlwind of emotions played through her eyes before Alastor like a movie, and he smiled, predatory and possessive. She was his beautiful dame, his charming demon belle and not-so- innocent princess. Pride swelled in his chest at the thought of how he’d left his mark on Charlie - the stain of blood from her first kill. Thrill pumped through his veins and he chastised himself for having the urge to tear through the flimsy jewelry hiding her to bite into her porcelain colored neck. He was hardly the type to act so irrationally, but something about the clear desire and passion in Charlie’s eyes made him want to lose composure; to lose control and show her himself and what he was capable of. Even now, with his eyes closed to regain control, he could feel the weight of her attention on him and only _him_ , adoring, grateful, awed and longing. Each sweet sigh and gasp which escaped her lips beckoning him to _**consume her w h o l e.** _

Feeling himself begin to slip, Alastor forcefully spun and dipped her, willing away the antlers which threatened to emerge and dislodge his crown. In the darkness which he could see in only behind his eyes, he searched for their overdue guest. The next second, he embraced her, the simultaneous press of the cold of his necklace and the warmth of his skin against the back of her neck causing Charlie to shiver even as her body melted against his, their bodies still moving to the music as though it was a part of their soul. 

_“ Charlie~ .”_

More than hearing, she felt his voice, the way it rumbled from his chest and out his throat, the tip of her ear tingling from the press of his lips as he uttered her name in a way which was oh so _promising_ and _**hungry.** _

_**“Look.”** _

Following his command, Charlie followed the direction paved by his outstretched claw, her eyes blinking at the overload of color and imagery before locking onto a demon.

Dressed like a carnival clown, the demon hardly seemed note-worthy, his features entirely ordinary outside of the bright and colorful costume he wore and his blue nose. He seemed to be conversing with a younger demon, a smile on both their faces as he made her a balloon devil. For a moment, Charlie felt offended that Alastor chose this moment to interrupt their intimacy, even if the rare instance of kindness in Hell was a sweet moment to see.

“Eroh Dynsmore.”

Alastor had drawn closer, the heat permeating from his chest distracting, even as his claws gently held her chin in place.

“Do you know what he did to little kids like her, Charlie?”

Each word held something awful, an indistinguishable sense of ominous foreboding. It seeped from his voice and into her skin, a repulsive parasite which stole her ability to breathe. Alastor’s chuckle was full of disgust.

“A silly little clown. A silly little clown who befriended children who were feeling lonely, who felt sad, _angry_ at their _parents._ He assured them of their friendship, bought them sweets and toys too. ‘Won’t you come visit me?’, he’d ask, ‘I can take you to a great place where you won’t be upset anymore!’ How were the _little darlings_ supposed to know? They’d take his hand and then they were gone. A tiny _doll_ to add to his _collection_ . He had _twenty_ , you see, but his pretty dolls _didn’t last long_ . How could they, in the cages they were condemned to, with his disregard and disdain so strong. He’d grow so upset when they _cried, begging to go home !_ He just wanted a pretty, grateful _little bird_ _,_ but he was too selfish to let the others go! So they rotted away in their little cages until they made a _nest of bones ,_ and when the _stink_ got too bad and the police came knocking on his door? He _flew away_ with a bullet to his head to join his _little birds. ”_

  
Trembling, a chill went down Charlie’s spine as Dynsmore’s eyes met hers. He _smiled._ Rage bubbled beneath her skin unlike anything she’d felt before, the phantom cries of a trembling girl echoing through her mind.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand hello there, we've made it through another week! our dear Charlie, who'd been so excited to go out with alastor, finally got her wish! except...of course the sly bastard would drag her out with ulterior motives, and so we met Eroh Dynsmore! i know I've been throwing lots of noncannon characters at you guys recently but I promise you don't have to remember them for longer than they're left alive ;) so expect a bunch of bloodshed next chapter haha! if you've remembered the reason this whole story kicked off and paid attention to some details in the first chapter, you'll know exactly on who's behalf Charlie is about to shred the new guy for
> 
> that aside, thank you all so much for the 215 kudos and 5k hits!! <3 we're slowly nearing the end of this story so I appreciate you all sticking with me! special thanks to Arikenus and Helindil for their dutiful comments on the last chapter - love you guys! <3 with that, I hope you all have an amazing rest of your week and I'll see you all for the next chapter :D


	27. Divine Retribution; Relentless Bloodshed

No sooner had the words left his mouth, complete chaos erupted. 

Charging forward without a single thought beyond the rage coursing through her, Charlie transformed, fire bursting from her heels with each step. Alastor could only watch the seconds pass by, paralyzed in place by the sudden burst of heat emanating from her. To think it’d worked so effectively! Yet, it made no sense...his princess was  _never_ this impulsive with violence, especially given she didn’t know about Dynsmore’s reasoning for being a threat to the hotel - surely she hadn’t attacked him just because of his past crimes?

Further introspection was disrupted by screams as the costumes and decorations of the nearby demons and the stands around him caught fire, demons fleeing in a panic to avoid the painful death awaiting them. Unwilling to share their fate, Alastor willed himself to materialize closer to the fiery explosions and closed his eyes, willing the darkness behind them to find Charlie past the commotion she’d managed to create.

* * *

**Fury.**

It was the emotion her world had narrowed down to - fury, rage, anger,  _**vengeance.** _

Her own fire threatened to consume her whole as it devoured the ground around them, mindless to the shrieks of others as Charlie’s vermillion pupils focused in on Dynsmore. Coughing, the clown stood after recovering from her tackle, a smirk on his face. A criminal, scumbag, murderer - all of these words could never encompass the disgust which his existence brought to her; he was a living  _ parasite . _

Wasting no time, Charlie summoned five modestly sized fireballs, throwing them at the demon in front of her. Driven by her anger, she hardly gave thought to his uncannily calm countenance in the face of her attack.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, sweetheart. You won’t be getting into heaven anytime soon like that.”

Dynsmore smiled, his tone irritatingly condescending as his hands moved at lightning speed, making dozens upon dozens of small balloon animals. Dodging her shots, he willed them forward and they sprung towards her like hungry piranhas as they were brought to life. 

“My gift to you, princess! A shame you grew up to be such a naughty little bird…”

Unphased, she willed the fire blazing around her body to grow stronger, effectively creating a barrier between her body and any minion which attempted to make it past the barrier alive. They burned spectacularly. Turning her attention back to the cocky clown in front of her, she willed forth a massive blazing ball of fire, layering bursts upon bursts of energy until it was an explosive bomb ticking above both their heads.

Balloon animals continued to surge forward, crowding around her in the form of a barrier as they were unable to come closer without being burned. Hands still furtively weaving, Dynsmore scowled at the haze of smoke in front of him, the clown struggling to breathe even as he continued to taunt Charlie.

“Ungrateful, are we? Ha! You grown-ups always are!”

Though his childish insults were pathetic at best, his constant allusions to children only strengthened the crying echoing through Charlie’s ears and causing her to preemptively release the explosive fireball.

Quickly growing quiet in the face of his doom, Dynsmore’s eyes flashed with fear, unable to protect himself as his hands were still occupied with crafting his masterpiece.

“Protect me you idiots!”

His cry was drowned out by the first explosion, chunks of the ground flying up from beneath their feet and popping his would-be army of balloon animals. Their screams were bloodcurdling, tears budding forth in Charlie’s eyes at the cries of desperate children.

_ ‘Don’t hurt me!’  _ They begged in a cacophony of voices, deafening even as the second round of her fireball went off and showered down across them, layering screams upon screams. The shredded balloon fabric brought about bursts of blood, coating Charlie in crimson and agitating the barrier around her body as it left her vulnerable to the fiery rain above them. Her feathered headdress caught fire, and Charlie hastily tore it off, mindless of its golden base steadily melting away.

Maniacal laughter demanded her attention, and Charlie glanced up to see a horrific monstrosity before her. It seemed Dynsmore’s balloon-making powers extended past simply bringing an army of them to life, as now he’d cocooned himself into a massive dragon’s head made from them! Roaring angrily, the impossible freak of nature closed its mouth around her explosive fireball, absorbing its blasts as though it were nothing. Terrified but determined to seek revenge, Charlie summoned forth more fireballs.

_ ‘D-don’t hurt us!’ _

The cry gave her pause, the miniature balloon animals which were joined together to create the dragon writhing with each word. Still, she shook her head and shot.

Bursting under the pressure in showers of blood, their screams once more grated her ears.

_ ‘N-no, p-please! I-I j-just wanna g-go h-home! M-om...s-she’s w-waiting!’ _

At the familiar voice, her fireballs dropped, slamming into the ground and feeding into the steadily burning fire around them.

**_“Lily!”_ **

Charlie found herself unable to move. Somewhere, the logical part of her mind knew it couldn’t possibly be the real Lily - she’d seen her off after all! Yet the voice was so loud...and so pained…

_ ‘-I t-tried to s-scream for M-mom, b-but he h-hit me...It h-hurt s-so much...I-I w-woke u-up in a c-cage a-and there w-were o-others and I c-couldn’t b-breathe, it smelled s-so a-awful a-and he s-said I’d s-stay u-until I w-was th-thankful a-and I-!’ _

Bloody tears streamed down her face as the memory echoed through her mind; how terrified the poor angel had been, how she’d trembled in her and Vaggie’s embrace, on the verge of a panic attack.

_ ‘I-I c-can’t h-hurt her! No!’ _

Noticing her hesitation, Dynsmore’s laugh resounded from inside of the dragon.

“A birdie you know, princess? Ha! For a girl so sweet, she was still an ungrateful brat! Her cries were always my favorite too!”

Willing the other balloon animals to let out variations of the little girl’s cries to keep his victim paralyzed, Dynsmore forced the dragon’s head to form legs, the hideous amalgamation hulking its way towards Charlie to blast her with the concentrated energy from her own fireball.

_ ‘P-please d-don’t h-hurt me!’ _

_ ‘I-I didn’t d-do a-anything!’ _

_ ‘S-someone l-let m-me out!’ _

_ ‘A-anyone, p-lease!’ _

“No no no no no NO!”

Knees wavering, Charlie covered her ears with her head, desperately shaking her head to block out the hopeless and pained screams.

_ ‘M-mom!’ _

_ ‘MOM, H-HELP M-ME!’ _

_ ‘It h-hurts s-so m-much!’ _

“Charlie.”

Rearing its head back, the dragon prepared to spew forth its fire onto Charlie’s collapsed form.

_**“Charlie!”** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone, hope you've had a nice week! as a result of some technical problems this chapter ended up being posted particularly late, so i'll be posting the next chapter today as well to make up for it; thank you all for your patience! 
> 
> as always, thank you all so much for the 5.3k+ hits and the 223 kudos!! your support is seriously appreciated <3 massive thanks to the lovely Helindil and TiaTia for their wonderful comments on the last chapter as well! you guys are what keep me going <3
> 
> with that, onto the next chapter!


	28. Bloodthirsty Generosity Yields Total Annihilation

Nausea rose in her stomach as a pair of familiar claws tightly encased her in a hold before they dematerialized. Alastor’s chest heaved against her back as they rematerialized a short distance away, the dragon’s blast obliterating everything in its path as it tore through the scorched remains of the carnival.

Disoriented, Charlie let herself be turned in Alastor’s hold until she was crushed against his chest in a tight embrace. His magenta eyes blazed with distaste. 

“Infernal clown! To think he had the capability to trap someone of your power into this children’s toy!”

Swallowing to wet her parched throat, Charlie coughed, suddenly realizing how suffocating the smoke around them was.

“W-what do y-ou mean, Al?”

Sparing her a brief glance when she coughed, Alastor pointed a claw up above them.

“The balloon, my dear! Did you not wonder how the smoke stayed so poignant despite the open area around us? How the screams you heard were so loud despite the ruckus of the fight?”

Eyes widening in surprise, Charlie looked about, noticing the subtle red tint encasing them in a circular enclosure. In the midst of the fight, she’d paid no mind to the oddities he’d mentioned, too hellbent on killing Dynsmore. Now she realized how close the clown had been to killing  _ her.  _ With the balloon trapping smoke inside, it was only a matter of time before she’d either suffocate or become delirious - something he’d taken advantage of when he’d seen her reaction to Lily’s voice. By using the walls to bounce off the sound, he’d targeted all the voices to her until she’d been paralyzed and practically helpless to his attack! 

_ ‘Wait…’ _

“Is that what happened with my attack?!”

Alastor nodded, his claws digging into her shoulder as he prepared to materialize them further away when the dragon reared its ugly head towards them.

“Indeed. Our fellow friend here seems to be capable of sucking up energy into those balloons until they burst! I had the misfortune of realizing this only after I’d already begun attempting to break through, unfortunately. His file seems terribly  _ lacking _ in such information.”

Clutching onto Alastor as another wave of nausea hit her when they appeared elsewhere, Charlie’s mind frantically ran through the new information he’d bestowed upon her.

If sucking up the energy past a certain point caused the balloon to burst then…

“Alastor.”

Azalea colored eyes flicked to her own.

“He’s in the middle of that thing...it’s made out of balloons.”

Comprehension dawned on his face and he smiled.

“Excellent point my dear! And while breaking in from the outside was rather harrowing, I suppose the silly logic of these balloons dictates we can certainly burst out before it all explodes!”

Sharing a brief smile, the two split into opposite directions. Hastily calling her wings forth, Charlie heaved herself into the sky above them while Alastor served as a distraction for Dynsmore. While the Radio Demon showed no signs of weariness, Charlie wasn’t sure how long it’d take before he grew exhausted or before the clown realized she was no longer in tow. 

Forcing herself to breathe past the acrid smoke filling her lungs, Charlie clasped her hands together. Filling her mind with thoughts of the horrific pain Lily had gone through as a result of the delusional clown below her, she let the anger build and build until a golden fire formed before her, almost blinding in its brilliance. Though she could not see him, Alastor’s power seemed to welcome her fiery rage, dancing and calling out to her to let loose.

Immediately noticing the sudden source of light, the dragon’s head spun towards her. Charlie smiled.

_**“Alastor.”** _

Her voice boomed across the generous span of distance between them, a simple yet powerful command. Bringing forth a void of whirling tentacles, Alastor released his power to collide with hers. Staring down at the clown greedily gulping in their energy before her with repulsion, Charlie gave her parting words.

_**“This is for killing Lily, you fucking scumbag.”** _

Seconds after she unleashed the fireball in her hands, a firm chest pressed into her from behind once more.

_ “Beautiful job, darling.” _

Then they were gone, a victorious smile upon both their lips as the demon in front of them began to tear apart from the inside out. The explosion which followed was magnificent.

* * *

Hours later, Alastor returned to the ruins of the carnival after having laid Charlie to rest. He could still recall the warm weight of her pliant body in his arms as they’d watched the clown die, her smile hauntingly serene. She’d melted into the kiss he’d bestowed her then, proud of her quick thinking and how well they’d worked together. His dear princess had wholly spent herself in her effort to demolish the clown, and as usual it had been spectacular. A staccato beat in his heart when she’d thanked him then, the unusual power coursing through her causing her devilishly scarlet pupils to beam white, and then a soft pink, until they once more returned to her typical inky black. He’d kept her close as he made his way back, aware of her vulnerable state. 

Now, with her safely bundled up in his office, he once again let his eyes feast on the decimated body before him.

Charlie’s unprecedented anger made sense after he’d found out ‘Lily’ was the angel she’d sent off, and one of the apparent victims of the threat he’d selected. She seemed further pleased with her decision when he informed her of the blue-nosed clowns' attempts to harass Ami Cyde Sulli after the hotel had received some coverage when she’d killed Valton, simply remarking “Good riddance.” It was terribly endearing and hilarious. 

Still, while he’d been satisfied with the outcome of their little misadventure, the lack of information on Dynsmore’s true capabilities implied that Lucifer’s handiwork was likely involved. 

“Keeping aces up your sleeve, are we?”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed. He’d have to take precautions with whoever he selected as the next targets for the hotel. Publicly eliminating undercover workers as they had with the last two kills would quickly draw Lucifer’s unwanted ire and attention, and Alastor still had much to prepare. 

Letting out a chuckle, Alastor allowed himself to indulge in the body before him and rejuvenate himself. While he’d purposely left early to indulge in a few  _ snacks _ and to make sure their _lovely guest_ was in attendance _ , _ Charlie’s arrival to the carnival had cut his dinner short. Licking his lips, he tore his claws through the dead clown demon’s ribs, joyfully wishing himself a good meal.

“Bon appetit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aand boom, that's all for this week's updates haha! hope you all enjoyed and have a wonderful rest of the week! :D 
> 
> the next 2 chapters will involve more cutesy moments between our favorite alastor & charlie, so I'll cya then <3


	29. A Discreet Form of Devotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone, apologies for my impromptu hiatus; exam period hit pretty hard for me so i had to buckle down & sort some irl stuff, but we're back and ill be finishing this story ^^

Warmth greeted Charlie when she awoke. She snuggled into the blanket wrapped around her, letting out a small yawn and hearing a soft chuckle from a distance away. 

“Mmm...Al?”

Another amused chuckle was given in response to her sleepy inquiry, the sound of papers shuffling and a pen scribbling away in the background.

“Good morning, Charlie. I trust you slept well?”

A yawn slipped past her lips as she nodded, sleepily blinking her eyes open to the now familiar sight of Alastor’s office. Lifting the blanket, she could see she was still dressed in the outfit he’d given her for the carnival, though Alastor had been kind enough to remove her golden jewelry and accessories and had neatly stacked them on the coffee table nearby. The thought of his claws tracing across her skin like that caused her to fluster, her mind bringing forth the memories of their entrancing dance at the carnival and how tightly he’d embraced her during the fight…

  
_ ‘The fight.’ _

Turning onto her stomach, Charlie let herself rest against the armrest.

__

“Hey Al...he’s really gone, right? This won’t be like what happened with Valton?”

__

Continuing to go through his paperwork, the Radio Demon’s smile widened.

__

“I daresay he was a rather delicious meal, yes.”

__

_ “Alastor!” _

__

Her appalled tone caused him to pause in his work, his grip around the pen tightening as he laughed. Charlie let out an exasperated huff, smiling despite shaking her head. Leave it to Alastor to pounce on the next opportunity to kill someone and have a good meal. 

__

_ ‘Speaking of which…’ _

__

A pout formed on her face. Now that she thought about it, it seemed terribly  _ coincidental  _ that Alastor had invited her out to the carnival only for them to run into Lily’s murderer. Or well, it would’ve been had he known who Lily was, but he’d been unaware and surprised by her angry reaction. Until he’d revealed that Dynsmore had been targeting Ami Cyde Sulli, that is. 

__

Charlie sighed. Though she appreciated his vigilance in finding and helping her take out threats to the hotel, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Dancing with him at the carnival had been so magical, so wondrous - now, it felt tainted knowing he’d only taken her so they would ‘naturally’ run into Dynsmore. She wasn’t ungrateful for the chance to avenge Lily and by extension Ami, but...was it selfish that she wished he’d taken her because he enjoyed her company too?

__

Noticing her lapse into silence, Alastor sat back from his work, observing the princess’s pout.

__

“Something on your mind, sweetheart?”

__

Charlie’s eyes darted up at him from the armrest, looking for all the world endearingly petulant.

__

“Al, I’m glad we got to take out that guy...but I was kinda hoping you took me to just, y’know, spend time together.”

__

Alastor blinked in bewilderment. 

__

“To spend time together? But we did, my dear! Though your desire for more of my companionship is rather flattering.”

__

Shaking her head, Charlie’s pout only grew more resolute.

__

“That doesn’t count! You only really took me so we could kill that clown…”

__

Alastor found himself puzzled over her distress. The Radio Demon was no stranger to others yearning for his company given his experience as a radio host and all-around powerful demon, but for a moment he’d forgotten that Charlie and he weren’t necessarily the same. Sure, they’d both shared the thrill of the kill, but whereas he took pleasure from that experience alone, it seemed Charlie had agreed to the outing simply for his company. It was...an interesting notion, to say the least; the idea that one day she might agree to accompany him on his hunts because it was  _ him  _ as opposed to for the sake of protecting the hotel.

__

...

__

In truth, the notion was...a bit uncomfortable. 

__

Musing over his thoughts, Alastor allowed his fingers to adjust his bow tie. While to anyone else it would seem odd to not rejoice over the idea of such devotion, it reminded Alastor all too much of his experience with Mimzy. Their union had been fun, initially, with Mimzy serving as an excellent source of bait and connections while he went in for the kill and deal. But, lovesick as she was, Mimzy’s affections grew suffocating over time as she demanded priority over his kills and even proved herself a nuisance whenever she’d panic over a change in plans or an unexpected outcome and ruin the trap. He’d split paths then, careless to her brokenhearted pleas, and he hadn’t regretted it. Never would. 

__

“Alastor?”

__

He glanced up at the sound of her voice, blinking in surprise when he saw Charlie standing in front of him with a concerned look on her face. Something warm passed through his chest at the sight of her with his pendant and the clothes he’d gifted her with, rumpled as they were from her sleep. To some extent, it’d been his way to thank her for the gift she’d bestowed him. Much had happened since then, of course, but...it was still the first time someone had truly gifted him something without expecting anything from him in return. Who was he to reject her meager request in comparison?

__

Alastor let out a sigh, resting his chin in his hand as he chuckled.

__

“Perhaps I’m the lovesick one…”

__

“What?”

__

The radio demon shook his head, smiling up at the princess.

__

“Well, what do you say we spend a day together then, Charlie? No killing involved - and I can teach you some mighty fine recipes!”

__

A blindingly bright smile broke out across Charlie’s face, her eyes sparkling.

__

“Yes, please! I’d love that!”

__

Wetting his lips, Alastor turned away, patting her head in lieu of revealing the fond smile which flourished on his face. _   
  
  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and boom! short chapter today so as per my rule, there'll be an update tomorrow w a longer one and more cute shenanigans! i know it isn't saturday but i've been gone for a long while so it was only fair to update this asap! thank you to my lovely readers & for all those who left kudos in the meantime; your kindness hasn't gone unnoticed!! <3 
> 
> belated thank you to both Arikenus and Helindil for their comments on the previous chapter <3 love u guys!


	30. A Savory Flavor Warms The Heart

Watching as Alastor swiftly maneuvered around the kitchen, Charlie wondered not for the first time if the Radio Demon hadn’t missed his calling as a chef. As bloodthirsty as he could be, his cooking skills were truly divine! Maybe even enough to get him to heaven!

“Charlie dearest, could you stir these tomatoes in while I add the sauce and spices?”

“Sure, Al!”

Storing away the mental imagery of Alastor as some cooking show host, she stirred in the can of crushed tomatoes into the large pot while Alastor danced about, sprinkling in salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and another red spice which she was unfamiliar with. No sooner had he added the seasoning, his shadows held up a myriad of bottles which he steadily added in. Attempting to swerve her body around him to see their names, she was startled by a playful tap to her nose, Alastor chiding her with his smile to continue stirring. Pouting, she acquiesced and settled back into place. 

“In time, my dear. My mother’s jambalaya requires perfection.”

“I know, I know. Just...I never thought there was this much stuff in it!”

Alastor smiled with amusement as he set down the bottles and reached for a cup of okra to slice.

“I suppose with your royal heritage, you would’ve had the privilege of having your food already prepared for you?”

Tugging at her hair, Charlie shyly nodded, passing him the sauteed chicken and sausage they’d set aside. 

“I can make  _ some _ basic stuff but it uh...let’s just say it wasn’t without some accidents…”

Alastor’s brow quirked with intrigue.

“Accidents?”

“Yeah I uh...might’ve  _ accidentally  _ set the kitchen back home on fire...multiple times…”

Adding the chicken and sausage into the pot, Alastor burst into joyful laughter at the mental imagery of Charlie accidentally burning down the palace.

“How delightful! Lucifer must’ve been infuriated!”

Rubbing the back of her neck with some shame, Charlie nodded.

  
  


“He was  _ pissed _ ! Let’s just say this whole rehabilitation business isn’t the only reason why he thinks I’m so incapable, I guess…”

Taking note of the hint of despondency in her tone, Alastor turned his attention away from the pot, leaving it to simmer for a short while. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he gently raised her chin with the other until her gaze was level with his.

“Hush now, my dear. Cooking is an art, I’ll have you know, and it takes time for true mastery just as with anything else. Besides, you’re plenty capable on the battlefield as you demonstrated yesterday.”

Giving him a small smile, Charlie accepted his reassurance and leaned into the hand against her face.

“I guess your mother taught you everything, right?”

Alastor’s eyes became distant, the corners of his smile slipping slightly as he delved into unwelcome memories.

“I never had that luxury, unfortunately. Though I helped her in the kitchen, I was still too young to truly develop a skill for it before she passed. It was much, much later, when I found the cookbook she used to keep my memories of her alive.”

Silence ensued as the words settled in Charlie’s heart. She squeezed his hand in a gesture of comfort and he smiled at her, refocusing his attention back to the pot. Bringing it to a boil, he added in the chicken and rice broth he’d set aside, before gradually reducing the temperature to a low heat. Covering the top of the pot, the Radio Demon relaxed once more, his eyes settling on Charlie.

“You have a speck of red on your cheek, dear.”

Blinking at his sudden words, Charlie tapped her fingers against her face in a futile attempt to swipe it off. An amused huff left Alastor and he shook his head, leaning forward to swipe it off and lick his finger clean. He smirked when her face caught fire, flustered by his bold move. Noticing the streak of red on his finger, Charlie sought her revenge.

“Alastor, you’ve cut yourself! No wonder there was a speck of blood on my face. Here, let me help!”

Tickled with amusement, Alastor let her grasp his hand and bring it to her lips for a chaste kiss.

“I’m glad I can always trust you to spice up my life, my dear.”

Satisfied with the warmth lurking in Alastor’s eyes, Charlie drew back, a foreign taste settling on her tongue. Her eyes widened with panic, instantly tearing up.

“Oh my Satan! What _ is  _ that?!”

Frantically rushing to the sink, Charlie desperately swiped at her tongue in an attempt to drive away the painfully spicy flavor which assaulted her senses and burned her lips.

Laughing uproariously in the background, Alastor wrapped his arms around himself as he struggled to speak, his body shaking with laughter at the hilariously tortured expression on her face.

“T-that w-would be-” His laughter interrupted the sentence. “-t-the  _ Cajun powder _ , dear!”

Struggling to glare at him while she gargled water, Charlie finally pulled herself together enough to point an accusatory finger.

“That pun! You  _ knew ! _ ”

Alastor merely nodded, his laughs drifting into static wheezes as he gasped for breath.

“Alastor, you bastard!”

  
  


Snorting at her affronted tone, the Radio Demon continued to laugh, tears gathering in his eyes from how hilariously betrayed she looked.

* * *

“Alastor, you bastard!”

Attention caught by the sudden cry of outrage, Vaggie peered into the kitchen to investigate, ready to interfere and kick the Radio Demon’s ass if need be.

She was greeted with Alastor’s laughing form, the demon practically glowing with delight in the face of Charlie’s anger. Stepping forward, she prepared to intervene, only to be cut off.

“I-in all f-fairness, my d-dear, you’re the one who took it upon yourself to kiss my hand!”

Charlie sputtered, her arms flailing wildly while she attempted to stutter out explanations.

“That’s because you-, I- Ughh!”

Beaming down at the princess before him, Alastor’s eyes flicked up to connect with Vaggie’s own eye. His smile turned arrogant, light glinting across his teeth to emphasize their sharpness. Vaggie glared.

Realizing he’d grown silent, Charlie paused, making a move to turn around.

“What are you-?”

Vaggie watched with barely contained rage as he blocked Charlie’s view with his body, sweeping her up into an embrace.

“The jambalaya, sweetheart! We need to add the shrimp!”

Giggling at his emphatic hand gestures, Vaggie saw Charlie’s head bob up and down in a nod. Forcing herself to walk away from the scene, Vaggie fists curled by her sides at the smug smile Alastor saw her off with.

Walking to the opposite end of the room and harshly jumping onto the couch, Vaggie huffed.

“Ayayay, watch the goods! I’m paintin’ my nails here!”

Not sparing the spider next to her a glance, Vaggie let out a harsh sigh.

“They gettin’ too lovey dovey in there?”

Leveling Angel Dust with a glare, Vaggie finally spoke.

“He’s un puto pendejo!”

“Does that stand for sexy as shit, because a man who can cook like  _ that _ is  _ fine.” _

“Angel! Ay, por el amor de Dios! He’s being a manipulative and possessive prick, and she’s oblivious to it!”

“Charlie? I don’t think so, sweetcheeks. They’ve been hip to hip since y'all split; she knows.”

Clutching her hair in frustration, Vaggie looked at Angel with a mixture of angered confusion.

“Then  _ why _ _?_ Why does she willingly stick with him?”

Blowing on his nails, Angel gave her a sidelong glance and shrugged.

“People are into kinky shit. Probably sees somethin’ in him. He looks like he has a pretty nice di-Mmf!”

Vaggie’s hand covered his mouth to cut off the rest of his statement, gagging with disgust. Eyes flitting between her hand over his mouth and her eye, Angel wiggled his eyebrows, letting out an exaggerated moan and opening his mouth to lick her hand. Vaggie instantly drew her hand back, her mouth twisting with displeasure at his gross actions.

“Satan, I don’t know  _ how _ Cherri puts up with you; she might destroy shit with bombs but she’s never  _ this  _ disgusting!”

Sticking his tongue out in response, Angel turned his attention back to his nails, sending a text to the aforementioned demon with his other hand before turning to the moth again.

“She asked me to check in with ya since ya told her about the whole breakup. You’re invited to hang with us again, tonight.”

Her expression softening, Vaggie sank back into the couch.

“You don’t need to invite me out of pity, you know.”

Angel shrugged.

“I ain’t. Ya might be prude, but when ya let loose and launched those bombs at Valentino’s club last time, it was a riot! Cherri’s taken ya under her wing as far as she sees it.”

Flushing at the mention of her less than savory activities the last time she’d been out, Vaggie shrank into herself.

“Whatever, he deserved it since he’s a prick. I’m not gonna blow up anything and everything like you two.”

Ensuring he had her attention, Angel expertly rolled his eyes, a smile breaking out on his face when Vaggie slapped his arm, feeling better despite herself. Though Angel and his best-friend were insufferable in their own right, they were a welcome distraction from Vaggie’s heartbreak, and Cherri had been surprisingly sympathetic when she’d seen the state the moth was in. Maybe she’d been through a breakup too, though it was hard to imagine with how confident and cheery the cyclops seemed. 

Letting herself tune into Angel whining about how she’d messed up his polish, Vaggie could only hope she’d eventually be happy again the same way.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand here's the promised chapter! thank you very much for your patience everyone ^^ we only have a few chapters left now so ill be posting the next one in two days c:
> 
> as always, special thanks to Yuyu_Mortis and Helindil for their comments on the last chapter! you guys always make my day haha <3
> 
> hope you all have a lovely week and ill cya soon! ^^


	31. A Face From The Past

Setting aside yet another potential candidate, Charlie paused in the midst of sorting that day’s files and stretched, her bones letting out a satisfying pop. Wistfully, she recalled the previous day’s memories; after helping Alastor cook some mouth-watering jambalaya, the Radio Demon had shown her some of his personal collection of the first ‘picture shows’ ever created. It had been adorable watching how excited he was over sharing the simple black and white films, and she’d thoroughly enjoyed listening to his rants. Shaking away the recent memory with a fond smile, Charlie returned her attention to the paperwork in front of her with a sigh.

After having the hotel be broadcasted in the news thanks to Valton’s kill, the application rate for being a resident at the hotel had become suspiciously high. Past Charlie would’ve been elated and gladly taken them all in if she could have, but the princess of the present was wary, to say the least. 

The sound of gentle hooves against the ground caused her to look up, smiling at the sight of Razzle and Dazzle, though she quickly sobered at the file they presented her with. Since the purge, she’d tasked the two demon-goats with an undercover assignment to find out who exactly Lucifer had tasked with drugging Angel. Though they hadn’t killed him, Charlie was loath to let the incident go after seeing the terrified wreck he’d been and knowing how close they all were to dying. Her patience had been tried far too much for any charity now.

Gingerly accepting the file, Charlie’s eyes skimmed through the records detailing visitors to the palace before Extermination day. The list was unhelpful, as expected, with only the names of some guards or staff which Charlie herself recognized. Flipping to the next page, Charlie watched as the photos played out the feed of various figures entering and exiting the throne room. Watching rigorously, Charlie’s eyes caught a strange movement. Rewinding the feed, Charlie ignored the demon maid greeting Lucifer and instead watched the floor. Slamming her finger onto the page, she paused in time to see the barest hint of a shadow pass by and meld itself into the shadow of the pillars in the room, the hint of a smile being the only giveaway to their position. Based on her father’s reaction, he’d been expecting the visitor, his feet pointing to the direction of the demon even as he continued engaging in conversation. Soon after he dismissed the maid, and the feed cut off. 

Charlie narrowed her eyes. Rewinding the feed again, she enlarged the shadowy silhouette hiding amongst the pillar. Unease tugged at her heart at the strangely familiar smile. 

_ ‘Who are you?’ _

Unlike Valton, finding the identity of the suspicious shadow would be far more difficult. If their smooth motions were anything to go by, they were familiar with the palace outline and how to sneak past the staff - a long time connection to her father, and far more valuable to her father when it came to keeping their identity hidden. Frustrated, the princess let out a sigh as her unfocused gaze came to rest on Razzle and Dazzle. 

_ ‘If only the camera had as good of a vision as you guys have…’ _ She mused. 

As the two goats looked back at her questioningly, an idea popped into Charlie’s mind.

“Razzle, Dazzle, you guys are off protecting Mom and Dad unless I summon you, right? Do you guys recognize who this is by chance?”

Showing them the photo, Charlie watched with bated breath for their reactions. Hope dwindling with each passing second of silence, she was ready to cast off the idea as foolish when they nodded. Shocked, she watched helplessly as Razzle’s eyes scanned across her desk before coming to a halt. Nodding in agreement, Dazzle tapped his hoof onto the spot, both goats baring their teeth with disdain.

_ ‘That’s it, Ms. Charlie.’ _

Quickly pulling out the paper from the stack of other applications, Charlie scanned the profile.

_ ‘Jackson Jay Ripkens _

_ Gender: Male  _

_ Powers: Physical Strength; Increased with Areas Full of Light _

_ History: Murder [5] _

_ Reason for Applying: Searching for entertainment and a new path in death.’ _

By itself, the bio was innocent enough; a bit lacking in detail, sure, but she’d had worse with prank applications. No, what caught her off guard was the photo attached to the profile. The demon was androgynous in appearance and rather handsome, as far as demons went. Or, he would have been, had Charlie not recognized the face.

Swallowing nervously, Charlie willed her hands to stop shaking. Digging into the inside of her jacket, Charlie grasped the key to her drawer and unlocked it, pulling out the photo album inside. Flipping through the cheerful and chaotic family photos frantically, her fingers finally came to a stop on a familiar face standing next to her father, both holding up a glass of wine in celebration of the arrival of the 20th century.

A chill went down her spine as her eyes darted between the silhouette in the feed, the old photo, and the face in the profile.

_ ‘It’s her!’ _

* * *

“Alastor!”

Perking up at the frantic call of his name and the rapid knocking at his door, Alastor snapped his fingers, the doors bursting open to reveal a disheveled Charlie.

Furtively glancing around for anyone else, the princess tightly shut the doors behind her, marching up to his desk and placing a file onto his desk. Alastor’s brow furrowed with confusion at the sight of the random demon’s profile before him.

“Jackson Jay Ripkens. Does that sound familiar to you, at all?”

Scouring his memories for any mention of the name, the Radio Demon shook his head, eyeing Charlie with caution.

“No, I’m afraid the name doesn’t ring a bell. What’s the matter, my dear?”

Pulling out a small and sparsely colored photo, Charlie hastily aligned the two next to each other on his desk.

“What about Whitechapel Ripper?”

Turning his attention from her to the photo, Alastor frowned, adjusting his monocle as he held up the picture for closer inspection. After a few moments, a faint thread of recognition tugged at his senses.

“Ah, I do believe I’ve heard of her, yes. We met in passing a few years ago at the royal ball, though I paid her no particular mind then as she seemed to be just another hitman for hire. What of it?”

Passing him Ripken’s profile, Charlie tapped at the photo.

“That’s  _ her. _ ”

Narrowing his eyes, Alastor scanned the two photos, mapping out the similarities between their faces despite the faux facial hair and deceiving angle.

“You have quite an astute eye, my dear. They are indeed the same.”

A solemn expression on her face, Charlie nodded.

“You’re going to help me kill her.”

Alastor blinked, bewildered by her boldness and sudden request. Forcing his attention back to the princess, he slowly nodded, a calm if confused smile on his face.

“I’d...be delighted to, my dear! Though I’m terribly curious about your sudden bloodlust…”

Letting out a long sigh, Charlie rubbed her forehead.

“Ever since you told me about my father being behind the attacks on the hotel, I did a little digging into trying to find out who was involved, especially with setting up Angel in this whole thing. Better safe than sorry, y’know?”

Alastor nodded, beckoning her to continue.

“Well...Whitechapel is affiliated with my father since she’s a hitman, though he mostly uses her for undercover investigations or for setups. Unlike most demons here, she’s accumulated most of her power from being around for so long as opposed to her gorey kill count, so she’s not as powerful as an Overlord, but she’s still no joke.”

Pausing to take a breath, Charlie hastily continued. 

“I reviewed the camera feeds from the palace before the Purge and...well...Razzle and Dazzle confirmed that she visited my father. I don’t know for certain if she was the one to drug Angel but it  _ can’t _ be a coincidence that she’s suddenly being sent here under some disguise. I was wondering when father would make his next move…”

Rubbing his chin, Alastor hummed thoughtfully at the intake of new information. His demon belle was clever for catching on so quickly, though it begged the question of why Lucifer would send some spy after the intensive hits he’d ordered before. Perhaps he was trying to eliminate them from the inside out since his previous strategy failed? But then why pick someone his daughter would know?

“Charlie, how is it that you know of this Whitechapel, exactly?”

Sucking in a breath, Charlie’s hands shook, and the Radio Demon realized that the frantic pace of her breath wasn’t just from the exertion of her sprinting to him, but fear.

“She...when she first came to Hell, before she was allied with my father, she...tried to kill me. I was an easy target then since I was still a kid and my powers weren’t developed.”

Alastor’s blood ran cold, anger rising at the thought of the demon threatening a mere child, royalty or otherwise.

“I-I wasn’t supposed to be awake, but Papa’s party was too loud, so I couldn’t sleep. A-and then I felt something hovering over me, traveling through the shadows. I d-didn’t open my eyes because I was scared, and then Mom barged in and called her out. I don’t remember what exactly she offered her, just that I felt the weight get off me eventually because I could breathe. I only knew her face because I looked right before they left, and the light of the hallway showed her face...I couldn’t sleep at all that night with her in my nightmares.”

The Radio Demon’s grip on the paper tightened, his claws threatening to tear through before he relaxed his grip.

“This is a personal revenge then?”

Charlie shook her head, her fists curling tight by her sides.

“She might have tried to kill me first, but she wasn’t the only one, and she didn’t succeed. I just don’t trust her motives with the hotel and knowing my father was involved in the last two major attacks…”

Her voice trailing off, Alastor mentally filled the blanks of her sentence. Clasping his hands together, he straightened his spine and studied the princess in front of him. Determination flared brightly in her dark eyes, and he found himself entranced. He wondered how he’d ever found Hell entertaining without her in his life. Charlotte Magne was a spectacle, really, marching up into his office like this and commanding his assistance with an assassination, of all things. He smiled fondly, proud to have her as his partner.

“How may I help, ma chérie?”   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a final new face as we near the end of the story! :D (dont worry, they won't be alive for long haha!) while this might seem like a bit of an abrupt choice in the direction of the story, i like to think we've slowly gone full circle from charlie wanting to be stronger and being terrified of killing, to seeing the necessity of killing but still being terrified of its repercussions, to eventually growing comfortable enough to kill via Al's persuasion, and now finally she's taking the charge on her own while Al is the one that's along for the ride :D and boy howdy he doesn't take kindly to anyone who's hurt Charlie now that he's staked his claim >:)
> 
> that aside, thank you all so much for reading! special thanks to vipermoon878, Helindil for their comments on the last chapter, and to SomeDude for their comment on Chapter 13! it always warms my heart to hear back from you guys :D
> 
> ill cya in a few days with the last chapters! <3


	32. A Swift Execution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi there! please note there's mentions/details relating to cannibalism in the segment below :D enjoy!

Spying his target from across the road, Alastor swiftly made his way through the crowd and into the store. Phase one of the plan was simple enough: make contact and convince them to meet with Charlie at the Devildom cafe. In the past, the Radio Demon would’ve sent Mimzy in to entice their victim, as he found the business of tracking others down troublesome even if he enjoyed chasing them to their deaths. With Charlie at his side, it was surprisingly refreshing in its own way; perhaps because he was eager to see the princess test her ability to scheme. 

Feigning interest in some nearby magazines, Alastor eased closer.

“Mr. Ripkens?”

An azure gaze shifted from the books to meet his, and the demon turned to face him. A long trench coat painted her body to be a sturdy, straight line, accompanied by black dress pants and polished black shoes. It was so reminiscent of some cartoon detective that the Radio Demon momentarily struggled to reign in his laugh.

“Radio Demon. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Alastor grinned widely. Though Ripken’s face remained steady in the face of the taller demon, he could easily read the caution in the other’s movements. With a voice as androgynous as her appearance, it was no wonder the King had hired Ripper as a hitman; even Alastor himself would have never known they were a girl without considerable investigation. 

“Hotel policy, my good fellow! My partner conducts interviews with any potential candidates, and you submitted your application as a hotel resident not long ago.”

Thumbing through the book with her gloved fingers, Ripkens sighed. Spotting movement from his peripheral, Alastor willed his shadow to encircle the demon before him, his eyes glowing in warning.

Setting the book aside, Ripkens frowned snidely and dismissed her power, meeting Alastor’s ruby eyes with her own. 

“This is a threat, then.”

“You wound me, Mr. Ripkens! This is simply business. Unless of course...you’re afraid?”

Allowing dials to briefly appear in his eyes, the Radio Demon’s smile widened with satisfaction when he saw Ripken’s facade falter, unnerved by the shifting of the world around her. Dismissing his powers, Alastor greeted the demon’s indignant expression with a lazy smile.

“I assure you I know of no such thing. Very well, where am I to meet Ms. Magne then?”

Giving a polite bow, Alastor materialized next to the demon, enjoying the way Ripken’s body flinched under his grip.

“Allow me to escort you!”

* * *

Modestly sized, the Devildom Cafe was a favorite amongst the middle-class of the underworld. Cast off by the elite as too uncultured but still flocked with customers, the humble establishment was the perfect place to conduct business under the cover of a steady buzz of conversation. 

Striding through the door, Alastor covertly snapped his fingers, simultaneously summoning forth his shadow minions and adjusting the volume dial on his radio audience to distract from the silence which would soon ensue. Noticing Ripken’s eyes on him, Alastor gave the demon an eerily wide smile, his form blocking the rapidly disappearing patrons behind him. 

“Ah, there she is.”

Taking advantage of the brief second it took Ripkens to find Charlie amongst the crowd, Alastor pulled his fingers into a fist, willing his shadows to create the illusion of other customers in the cafe. Satisfied, he resumed his ruse of a charming host and outstretched his hands animatedly as he approached the princess. 

“Charlie, our company has arrived!”

Having kept a close eye on their arrival, Charlie feigned surprise and let the teacup she held slip from her hand, cursing as the scalding water burned her skin. With Ripken’s attention now focused on the princess, Alastor made a show of acting apologetic, eager to move onto the second part of their plan.

“My sincerest apologies dear, I hadn’t meant to startle you! Allow me to grab you some tissues. It wouldn’t do to keep our guest waiting.”

Handing her her own handkerchief, Ripkens frowned at Alastor in suspicion.

“I can stand to wait momentarily; it looked quite painful. Seems odd you’d be so quick to run away.”

Sensing the situation was about to spiral for the worst, Charlie cleared her throat, a strained smile on her face as she shook her head.

“It’s alright, don’t worry! The pain’s gone now...Alastor, please go grab me those tissues though. I can’t impose on a future resident like this!”

Giving a polite bow, the Radio Demon took his leave. He’d have to dispose of the remaining staff immediately as their target was likely to catch on soon, if she hadn’t already. Eyeing the retreating demon, Ripkens finally sat in the chair across from the princess. Charlie smiled widely, pulling out her hand in greeting.

“Hi Mr. Ripkens, it’s so nice to meet you in person! I’m sorry about this disastrous first meeting haha...I promise I’m not usually  _ this  _ clumsy. Or...er...not clumsy at all as far as business with the hotel goes!”

Letting out a huff of amusement, Ripkens shook her head and leaned back against her seat.

“You haven’t changed at all, Ms. Magne.”

Maintaining an air of confusion, Charlie retracted her hand and furrowed her brows even as a spark of panic flared in her chest. It seemed the assassin had caught on. 

“Changed? Do you know me from somewhere, Mr. Ripkens?”

Steely azure returned her gaze.

“You can cut the act now, Charlotte. I know you know who I am. You would not so easily forget the one who made the first attempt on your life.”

Expression sombering, Charlie let out a small sigh and dragged her eyes across the cafe in a show of defeat. Her nerves calmed when she saw the lack of customers even as she felt increasingly concerned that it was taking Alastor so long to get rid of the staff.

“It’s been a while, Whitechapel. What business do you have with my hotel?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Whitechapel’s face remained unreadable, the demon thankfully choosing to window watch rather than noticing the deserted state of the cafe.

“That’s confidential, I’m afraid. You’ve made quite the ruckus since you’ve left the palace; it only makes sense someone would have to clean up after you.”

Ire rose in her veins at the condescending tone and she prepared to retort, stopping only when she felt a familiar trace of energy. Her expression morphing into a smirk, Charlie’s body transformed into her demonic form.

“I can manage that just fine, and I’ll be starting with you,  _ Jack the Ripper _ _._ ”

Alarmed, Whitechapel darted from her seat, her eyes scanning for an unsuspecting target. Realizing the cafe was empty aside from her two pursuers, she let out an enraged growl which morphed into a scream. A low chuckle resounded behind her as sharp claws dug past the trenchcoat and into her skin.

“How pathetic. I had such high hopes when Charlie told me our next target was an experienced hitman - or shall I say, woman. Who knew your power could so easily be offset?”

Lashing out, Whitechapel swung uselessly in Alastor’s hold, unsuccessful in her attempts to break free. If she could break their concentration for even a second, she could make her escape and transform into someone’s shadow to blend in with the crowd outside. The Radio Demon chuckled as though he’d heard her and tightened his grip so his claws sank in deeper. Bleeding profusely, Whitechapel hissed with fury when she was forcefully turned around to face Charlie. 

_**“You!”** _

Easily dodging the swipe at her eyes, Charlie swung forward with her own claws, fire scalding the flesh that she tore through and causing the demon to shriek with pain.

“You may have lots of experience, but history repeats itself, so it was only a matter of time before you did too. You were so caught up in mocking me that it was easy clearing everyone out.”

Still letting out unholy shrieks, Whitechapel’s body pulsed with restrained power, the demon desperately trying to force her escape. Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Alastor tore into her shoulder, the demon’s pained screams only intensifying with the horrific feeling of her flesh ripping from her bones.

Staring down at the demon before her with disgust, Charlie finally asked the question which had plagued her mind.

“Did my father task you to drug Angel Dust on the night before the Purge?”

Snarling, Whitechapel bared her teeth and spit at Charlie, unwilling to answer. Anger rising, Charlie commanded Alastor to bite down again, his razor sharp teeth snapping through the demon’s bones with ease. Screaming in pain, Whitechapel finally nodded, her chest heaving as she struggled not to pass out from the bloodloss.

Mouth watering, Alastor inhaled the delicious scent of blood and fear, barely restraining himself from sinking in his teeth. Locking eyes with Charlie, his gaze sought her approval.

Charlie’s heart pumped loudly through her chest at the strangely intense bloodthirstiness and fondness in his eyes, the world seeming to narrow until it was just them. The thought of someone as mighty as Alastor seeking  _ her  _ permission to commit such a horrific act to someone so despicable...the rush of power it made her feel was as terrifying as it was  _thrilling._ Laughter bubbled up in her chest at the sudden confidence which laced her veins, and for a moment Charlie felt truly, incomprehensibly insane.

It felt  _ wonderful. _

Finally bringing herself to nod, Charlie felt warmth bubble in her heart at the enthusiasm shining in the demon’s eyes. She watched with bated breath as Alastor summoned forth a writhing tentacle to puncture through the demon’s stomach, the life in Whitechapel’s pleading eyes draining as she watched her own intestines drip out of her body. Repulsion and attraction tore at each other in Charlie’s mind, one part of her struggling to stomach the gorey display while the other part reveled in Alastor’s addicting glee.

Still, she found herself smiling. Angel had finally been avenged. 

Turning her back to the scene, Charlie shifted her gaze to the demons passing by without a care, ignorant to the bloodbath taking place inside thanks to her fiery barrier. 

It felt surreal that she could feel so calm and content over something which once would’ve plagued her with so much doubt and self-hatred. Now, Charlie had learned to embrace the benefits of violence and force, and though she was under no means as bloodthirsty as Alastor, the sight of Whitechapel’s blood staining the floor still filled her with a sense of satisfaction. In time, Hell would learn to respect her Hotel and her residents.

Until then, she was only too happy to make an example of those who posed a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello and welcome to the end of the second to last chapter, everyone!! in this delightful segment, we got to see Charlie finally snap and go full circle from terrified of murder to encouraging her boyfriend to act on his sadistic cannibalistic tendencies!! woohoo! all in the name of sweet sweet revenge and keeping her hotel safe of course :D
> 
> a massive thank you to Helindil, Arikenus, and ry_writes for their wonderful and sweet comments on the last chapter! ill be posting the *actual* last chapter shortly after this one so this is the last time i can thank you all like this <3 you guys have been amazing and your support is appreciated :D


	33. The Dawn Of A New Tomorrow; A Long Awaited Union

Returning to the hotel after he’d satiated his appetite, Alastor’s heart beamed with pride as he watched Charlie interact with the residents, a smile on her face. Her scheme had panned out brilliantly, their personal best as far as how quickly they’d taken out their target together went. It felt magnificent. 

Suddenly feeling emotional, the Radio Demon tore his eyes away from the sickeningly sweet scene before him and sought his office for some peace. Tossing off his jacket haphazardly, he collapsed in the leather chair of his office.

He chuckled to himself, a soft smile on his face at the thought of the princess.

_ ‘My charming demon belle...she’s come so far!~’ _

Though their love for music had always created an easy ground for conversation, Alastor had hardly seen her company as anything worth more. He rarely did, unless he saw continuous use within people beyond entertainment, after all. Yet...inexplicably, unpredictably, she’d proven herself to be so much  _ more. _

Initially, he’d cast off the impressive scale of her powers as being due to her royal lineage; it was inevitable that Lucifer and Lilith would pass on some of their powers to their offspring. After repeatedly proving her strength, however, the seed of interest which had taken up home in his mind began to bloom, turning into a gorgeous and prickly rose once he witnessed Charlie kill Valton so deliciously  _ graphically _ _._ The olive branch she’d extended to him when she’d given him the heart had only further stirred awake his long forgotten dreams for a companion to share his thrills with. Perhaps it explained why he’d felt compelled to share the deeper parts of him, as well as pieces of his past. She was as much a worthy combatant as she was a confidant. Now, not only had she proved herself to be a worthy partner in both battle and in their downtime, but she’d again impressed him with her meticulous planning and brilliance, proving herself to be an excellent strategist too. 

Like the deer ears on his head, her doe-like eyes and complexion hid her true identity of a natural born predator. A perfect match.

Interrupted from his thoughts by gentle knocking, Alastor called out for them to come in, already knowing who it’d be. Shutting the door gently behind her, Charlie entered the room and relaxed on his couch. His eyes fondly noted the messiness of her hair. Adorable.

“Hey...Alastor.”

“Hm?”

Pushing herself to sit up, the princess fumbled to fix her hair, a flush coating her face.

“Um...I just wanted to say thanks for today...you must’ve been startled when I came in here demanding your help and stuff…”

Amused by her shyness, Alastor laughed kindly.

“My pleasure, sweetheart. It’s been a treat being by your side and watching you grow into someone so capable.”

Flustering happily at his praise, Charlie straightened her back to make herself taller. For a few moments there was a comfortable silence, the princess struggling and failing to form the words resting on her tongue. Alastor waited patiently.

“No, I should be the one thanking you, Alastor. You’ve...really pushed me to grow and become a stronger person, even if I know that wasn’t the reason why you did it.”

Pleased with her quick wit and awareness, Alastor asked her a question he’d been wondering for a while now.

“Why is it that you went through with it all in the end, Charlie? Though you play yourself to be naive, you were well aware that my actions weren’t selfless.”

Humming in agreement, Charlie lay her head back against the couch.

“I think because...I wasn’t happy with who I was, with how weak I felt. I let Vaggie protect me because it was easier, but when a serious threat came after us and I found myself alone...well...I guess I realized just how much of a coward I’d been all along. I should never have been depending on anyone. You were right...you  _ can’t  _ progress in Hell without some force or violence. I can’t escape that, not with me being the princess of Hell. So, I’ve embraced it. You already know I won’t kill just anyone, which is why you picked the threat that you did. Maybe...maybe I should be angry for your selfish intentions, but I’m not. I’m selfish too, when it comes to protecting this hotel.”

  
Out of breath after her miniature rant, Charlie took a moment to regain herself while Alastor mulled over her words thoughtfully. Eventually, he settled on simply shrugging.

“Well, I’ve certainly enjoyed having you as my companion, my dear. You’ve made my life far, far more entertaining!”

Smiling in response to his words, Charlie’s expression turned serious even as the rosy hue of her cheeks deepened. 

“Al...I’d like to continue doing that, if that’s alright.”

“Oh?”

“Being by your side, I mean.”

Tilting his head to the side, Alastor studied the princess intensely as she flushed under his scrutiny. At last, he opened his mouth to speak.

“I...am not like many others. I know nothing of guilt, regret or shame as you might. Sympathy is also foreign to me; I tend to know anger or amusement in its stead, as I often see a solution where others don’t, even if I have to forcefully create it myself. I see worth in you, as I respect your passion and skills greatly, so I will work to meet your needs, but I may not always understand you. Can you handle that?”

At his sober tone, Charlie’s flush disappeared, the princess considering his words carefully. Finally, she once more locked her warm gaze with his azalea eyes. 

“Maybe not always, but for now, I want your strength and your company, even if the things we both agree on and understand are different.”

Nodding his approval, Alastor stood, a smile on his face as he slowly approached her.

“You understand what you’re agreeing to, ma chérie? I’ll fight by your side, but I’ll never fight your battles for you.”

“And you won’t always be there, right?”

Alastor let out a hearty chuckle.

“Of course not. Your battle isn’t always mine, afterall. Someday I could even be fighting against you.” The fire in his eyes flickered mischievously as he grew closer yet. Charlie returned his mischievous glance with a determined one of her own.

“I won’t back down, Al.”

Charlie stood, chest-to-chest with the Radio Demon as he wrapped his arms around her. Her lithe fingers gripped his tie tightly, holding him in place. 

“I wouldn’t expect any less of you. You’re my partner for a reason, Charlie.”

With that, he let himself give into the persistent tug on his tie and matched his lips with hers for a warm kiss to mark the beginning of their odd union.

Though their relationship was peculiar, perhaps transient, and held many uncertainties, the two demons found themselves happy regardless, enjoying the solace they’d found in one another and eager to welcome the dawn of the next day with all the challenges it would bring them. Together, if not for forever, they were unstoppable.

* * *

**Bonus:**

Sitting at his throne, Lucifer idly tapped his fingers as his informant finished speaking and drew their distance. The King smiled.

“She really did kill her then.”

He let out a small sigh of relief. 

“Our apple dumpling did?”

Nodding his head, the King smiled softly upon seeing his Queen emerge into the room, looking radiant as always. Lilith returned his smile.

“Are you alright with her hating you, Luci?”

Smile twitching a bit at her question, Lucifer let out another sigh.

“You know as much as I do the dangers which the idea of Rehabilitation brings. As heir to the throne, it’s far more important she learned to kill and protect herself first. She will understand in time.”

“And that Radio Demon who’s so determined to overthrow you?”

Lucifer shrunk under his wife’s gaze. 

“Well...that was unplanned, but he helped.”

Shaking her head fondly, Lilith ruffled his hair.

“Idiot.”

“Your idiot, darling.”

She chuckled.

“I know.”   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, thank you all so much for your support along this journey!! through 33 long and short chapters and 50k words, you all have been an incredible audience and each and every one of you will be missed dearly!! all the anonymous guests, the kudos, the commenters, the bookmarkers - all the people who gave this story a chance! you are amazing. thank you. <3
> 
> now, for some afterthoughts: was this the sappiest ending i could've given these two? not at all, but then i feel this one best encapsulates the relationship i set up for them! alastor is not a normal demon by any means - he is structured after a psychopath and at the end of the day, acts solely on his own interests and for his benefit! charlie meanwhile treasures being able to help others and protect them, even as far as to go out of her own comfort zone to ensure theirs! charlie was able to stand out to alastor when she exceeded his expectations and showed just how far she was willing to go, and alastor in turn gave charlie a much needed push towards independence and a new mindset, even if the true intentions/motivations behind their individual actions differ vastly. this is why i felt the best ending to their pairing was one that was, hopefully, realistic; they are happy now, but they may not always be together because their values are so different on a fundamental level. 
> 
> you may have also noticed that there were some things that were left unanswered or unexplored, such as lily's statement from the first chapter about doing what she could to "get Charlie into heaven", details on Charlie's purifying powers via the angel feather, the pendant alastor gave her, as well as Lucifer in the end mentioning the consequences of Rehabilitation...this was done on purpose! while im not sure whether it'll be written or not, these ideas were left open-ended so they could be explored in a sequel fic! now, whether or not Lucifer is a good dad for taking this round-about route to teach charlie, or just how much of a role he played in this is totally up for you all to decide. however, one thing can't be denied; Lucifer has been the King of Hell for a VERY long time, so he's not as scheming as cold-hearted as he is without reason for it...
> 
> aaand that's about all i wanted to get off my chest, so ill end it here! thank you so much for enjoying my story and i hope you all have a magnificent day!!
> 
> (ill eventually more charlastor works though no worries :b)


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